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Given that you freely given me leave to love,
What will you do?
Am I to your joy, or ardor move,
Once I start to court;
Will you torment, or disdain, or cherish me too?

Each petty beauty can scorn, and I
Spight of your hate
Absent your permission can see, and perish;
Bestow a nobler Lot!
It's simple to demolish, you can form.

Thus give me permission to cherish, & love me too
Without design
To elevate, as Loves damned defiers behave
While puling Poets whine,
Acclaim to their grace, from their tearful eyes.

Sorrow is a puddle and mirrors not bright
Your charm's lights;
Joys are pure streames, your eyes look
Morose in gloomier layes,
In joyful verses they radiate brilliant with praise.

Which shall not mention to express you fair
Wounds, flames, and shafts,
Tempests in your brow, traps in your hair,
Bribing all your features,
Either to trick, or afflict trapped affections.

I’ll make your gaze like sunrise stars seem,
Like soft, and fair;
One's forehead as crystal smooth, and clear,
And your dishevelled hayr
Shall drift like a tranquil Region of the Air.

Abundant The natural world's treasury (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I will expend, to dress
Thy beauties, if your Mine of Delight
Through equal gratitude
You but release, so we mutually bless.

Examining the Poem's Ideas

The piece examines the relationship of love and admiration, where the narrator engages with a lady who seeks his love. Rather, he offers a shared arrangement of artistic tribute for private pleasures. The phraseology is refined, mixing courtly norms with direct utterances of longing.

Through the stanzas, the writer spurns common motifs of unreturned affection, including grief and tears, claiming they obscure true charm. The speaker chooses joy and acclaim to showcase the lady's attributes, assuring to portray her vision as radiant stars and her hair as flowing atmosphere. The method underscores a practical yet artful view on bonds.

Important Elements of the Composition

• Shared Exchange: The poem centers on a suggestion of admiration in trade for delight, emphasizing balance between the individuals.
• Spurning of Conventional Ideas: The narrator criticizes usual literary techniques like sorrow and similes of suffering, favoring upbeat descriptions.
• Poetic Craftsmanship: The employment of mixed meter lengths and rhythm showcases the author's mastery in poetry, creating a fluid and compelling text.

Rich Nature's store (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I will use, to embellish
Your charms, if your Wellspring of Joy
Through equal gratitude
One but unlock, so we mutually grace.

This stanza summarizes the core bargain, in which the author promises to employ his inventive abilities to celebrate the lady, in return for her willingness. This wording combines spiritual undertones with worldly desires, providing depth to the work's message.