William Cowper (1731-1800)

An Attempt at the Manner of Waller

Did not thy reason and thy sense,
With most persuasive eloquence,
Convince me that obedience due
None may so justly claim as you,
By right of beauty you would be
Mistress o'er my heart and me.
Then fear not I should e'er rebel,
My gentle love! I might as well
A forward peevishness put on,
And quarrel with the mid-day sun;

Metaphysical Submission

The lover compares romantic obedience to natural law, using the sun as a metaphor for inevitable authority.

Or question who gave him a right
To be so fiery and so bright.
Nay, this were less absurd and vain
Than disobedience to thy reign:
His beams are oft too severe;
But thou art mild, as thou art fair;
First from necessity we own your sway,

Paradox of Willing Surrender

The poem's final lines reveal a philosophical twist: true freedom is choosing to submit.

Then scorn our freedom, and by choice obey.
Source Wikipedia Poetry Foundation

Reading Notes

Poetic Homage: Cowper's Courtly Imitation

Edmund Waller pioneered a smooth, rational approach to love poetry in the 17th century, emphasizing intellectual seduction over passionate excess. Cowper's poem deliberately echoes this style, using elegant persuasion and logical argument to explore romantic submission.

The poem transforms surrender into an intellectual choice, where the lover rationally decides obedience is not just inevitable, but desirable. By comparing romantic submission to natural laws (like the sun's authority), Cowper elevates personal devotion to a kind of philosophical principle.

Rhetorical Strategies of Consent

Cowper uses nested metaphors to make surrender seem both natural and noble. The comparison to the sun—an unquestionable, bright authority—suggests that romantic submission is as fundamental and beautiful as natural law.

The poem's progression moves from rational argument ('thy reason and thy sense') to emotional surrender, revealing how intellectual persuasion can transform into willing devotion. The final lines' paradox—'scorn our freedom, and by choice obey'—is the poem's most sophisticated moment.