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Given that you freely given me leave to love,
What will you respond?
Will I your delight, or emotion arouse,
When I begin to woo;
Do you torment, or scorn, or cherish me too?

Every minor beauty can disdain, and I
In spite of your dislike
Absent your leave can observe, and die;
Bestow a grander Fate!
It is effortless to ruin, you may fashion.

Then grant me consent to adore, & love me too
Without design
To uplift, as Affection's accursed rebels behave
While complaining Poets lament,
Renown to their beauty, from their weeping gaze.

Sorrow is a pool and mirrors not distinct
One's beauty’s rayes;
Joyes are pure streams, your gaze look
Sullen in gloomier verses,
Through happy numbers they shine luminous with praise.

Which shall not mention to express you fayr
Wounds, blazes, and arrows,
Storms in your forehead, snares in your hayr,
Suborning all your parts,
Or else to deceive, or torture captive hearts.

I will cause your eyes like dawn suns seem,
Just as mild, and fayr;
One's forehead as Crystall even, and pure,
While your tousled hayr
May drift like a tranquil Area of the Air.

Wealthy Nature’s treasury (which is the Poet’s Treasure)
I’l spend, to adorn
One's beauties, if your Wellspring of Pleasure
With equall gratitude
One but unlock, so we each other bless.

Exploring the Poem's Ideas

The piece explores the relationship of passion and admiration, where the poet addresses a woman who desires his love. Conversely, he proposes a mutual exchange of literary admiration for intimate delights. This language is graceful, blending refined conventions with candid statements of desire.

Within the verses, the writer dismisses common tropes of unrequited passion, including sorrow and lamentation, arguing they dim true grace. He chooses delight and admiration to emphasize the woman's features, promising to render her gaze as bright suns and her locks as drifting atmosphere. The method emphasizes a practical yet skillful view on connections.

Important Aspects of the Composition

• Reciprocal Arrangement: The work centers on a suggestion of praise in trade for delight, stressing equality between the parties.
• Spurning of Conventional Themes: The poet criticizes typical literary tools like sorrow and metaphors of suffering, choosing upbeat descriptions.
• Poetic Artistry: The application of diverse verse measures and flow showcases the writer's expertise in composition, producing a graceful and captivating read.

Rich The natural world's hoard (which is the Writer's Riches)
I will use, to embellish
Thy charms, if your Mine of Delight
In equall gratitude
Thou but unlock, so we each other favor.

This stanza summarizes the core bargain, in which the writer promises to use his artistic gifts to praise the lady, in exchange for her openness. The phraseology blends pious overtones with earthly yearnings, giving depth to the verse's theme.