Burst forth my tears

Song Meaning

The speaker implores their tears to externalize a grief so profound it's instigated by "imperious Love." This isn't just sadness; it's a pain inflicted by an overwhelming, almost tyrannical affection. The narrator appeals to their "tender flocks," framing them as fellow sufferers who should lament Love's "scant relief" and the "pensive Care" that has yoked their freedom. The imagery establishes a pastoral scene, but one steeped in melancholy, where even the sheep are called to empathize with the shepherd's plight. This pining is relentless, personified as "Sad, sad pining Care" that "never may have peace." It desperately seeks solace at "Beauty's gate," but finds no solace. Instead, "Mercy sleeps" while "deep Disdain" grows, and Beauty herself "Hope in her fair bosom locks." The shepherd's pleas are met not with compassion, but with an increasing coldness, reinforcing the futility of their pursuit. The craft here hinges on the stark contrast between the speaker's fervent pleas and the absolute indifference they face. Their "sighs have winged been" like the wind, yet they are "repaid with mocks." The shepherd pleads, but "she repineth at my teen," a word suggesting intense sorrow or trouble. This "ruthless rigour" is described as "harder than the rocks," a powerful image that suggests an unyielding, destructive force that ultimately dooms both the shepherd and their "poor flocks."