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Given that you freely given me leave to love,
What shall you act?
Am I to your joy, or passion move,
Once I start to court;
Shall you torment, or scorn, or love me too?

Each petty beauty can reject, and I
Spight of your hate
Absent your permission can observe, and die;
Grant a loftier Fate!
’Tis easy to destroy, you can form.

Therefore give me consent to adore, & adore me too
Lacking purpose
To elevate, as Love's cursed insurgents behave
As puling Versifiers moan,
Renown to their beauty, from their tearful eyes.

Grief is a puddle and shows not distinct
One's beauty’s lights;
Joys are clear currents, your vision look
Sullen in more sorrowful songs,
Within cheerfull lines they radiate bright with prayse.

Which may not mention to express you fayr
Wounds, fires, and shafts,
Storms in your brow, traps in your locks,
Suborning all your attributes,
Or else to trick, or torment captive souls.

I will render your eyes like morning suns appear,
As mild, and fayr;
One's brow as crystal smooth, and pure,
And your tousled hair
May flow like a serene Zone of the Air.

Abundant Nature’s treasury (which is the Writer's Wealth)
I’l spend, to adorn
Your graces, if your Mine of Delight
With equall thankfulness
You but open, so we mutually favor.

Exploring the Verse's Themes

The work explores the relationship of affection and praise, in which the narrator engages with a maiden who requests his devotion. Rather, he suggests a reciprocal arrangement of literary tribute for personal pleasures. This phraseology is refined, blending polished norms with candid utterances of yearning.

Within the lines, the poet spurns typical themes of one-sided affection, like sorrow and tears, claiming they obscure true beauty. He prefers happiness and admiration to emphasize the lady's qualities, vowing to depict her eyes as bright suns and her hair as streaming breeze. The approach underscores a pragmatic yet artful perspective on relationships.

Significant Components of the Piece

• Reciprocal Exchange: The poem revolves on a proposal of admiration in exchange for pleasure, highlighting balance between the parties.
• Dismissal of Conventional Themes: The speaker criticizes typical poetic devices like grief and imagery of pain, choosing optimistic imagery.
• Creative Craftsmanship: The application of varied meter measures and cadence demonstrates the poet's mastery in composition, producing a fluid and captivating text.

Wealthy Nature's store (which is the Bard's Treasure)
I shall expend, to adorn
One's charms, if your Mine of Delight
Through matching thankfulness
One but release, so we mutually bless.

This stanza captures the essential deal, where the poet promises to employ his artistic gifts to praise the lady, in exchange for her willingness. This language blends pious overtones with worldly desires, providing depth to the work's message.