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Given that you freely given me leave to love,
What shall you act?
Will I your mirth, or ardor arouse,
When I begin to court;
Will you torment, or mock, or adore me too?

All trivial beauty can disdain, and I
Spight of your dislike
Absent your leave can perceive, and succumb;
Bestow a grander Fate!
’Tis easy to destroy, you can fashion.

Then give me leave to love, & cherish me too
Not with design
To uplift, as Affection's damned defiers behave
When complaining Bards whine,
Renown to their charm, from their tearful eyne.

Sadness is a puddle and shows not bright
One's charm's beams;
Joys are clear streames, your vision look
Gloomy in gloomier verses,
Within cheerfull verses they gleam luminous with prayse.

What will not refer to portray you fayr
Injuries, fires, and shafts,
Storms in your countenance, traps in your locks,
Bribing all your attributes,
Or else to deceive, or torment captive affections.

I shall render your gaze like dawn orbs seem,
As mild, and lovely;
Thy brow as crystal polished, and clear,
Whereas your unkempt locks
May stream like a serene Zone of the Ayr.

Wealthy Nature's treasury (which is the Poet’s Wealth)
I’l use, to adorn
Your beauties, if your Source of Pleasure
In equall gratitude
You but open, so we each other favor.

Exploring the Verse's Themes

This piece explores the dynamics of love and admiration, where the narrator engages with a woman who desires his love. Instead, he suggests a mutual agreement of poetic tribute for private delights. This phraseology is graceful, blending courtly traditions with direct expressions of yearning.

In the stanzas, the writer rejects typical tropes of unrequited affection, like grief and lamentation, claiming they cloud true grace. The speaker chooses joy and acclaim to highlight the lady's features, assuring to portray her eyes as radiant stars and her tresses as drifting air. The approach emphasizes a practical yet artful perspective on connections.

Significant Components of the Piece

• Mutual Arrangement: The verse centers on a suggestion of admiration in trade for pleasure, emphasizing parity between the parties.
• Dismissal of Traditional Themes: The speaker condemns common literary tools like sorrow and metaphors of anguish, favoring optimistic descriptions.
• Creative Craftsmanship: The employment of varied verse lengths and rhythm displays the author's mastery in composition, forming a smooth and captivating text.

Rich Nature’s store (which is the Writer's Riches)
I shall spend, to adorn
One's graces, if your Mine of Joy
In equal gratitude
Thou but unlock, so we each other favor.

This verse summarizes the essential arrangement, where the author pledges to utilize his inventive talents to praise the woman, in exchange for her openness. The wording blends pious overtones with worldly desires, providing profundity to the work's theme.