Song Meaning
This poem opens with a direct, almost urgent plea: "Cease these false sports, hast away." The speaker is addressing someone, likely a woman referred to as "virgin Bride," urging her to abandon frivolous activities that are delaying a significant union. The tone is a mix of admonishment and encouragement, suggesting that her current inaction is detrimental, making "Love's made a trewant by your stay."
The central tension revolves around the impending consummation of a marriage, personified by "Hymens peaceful war." The speaker warns the "virgin Bride" against delaying this union, fearing she might "change that fruitlesse name" and "Least you your sex defame." This implies a societal expectation or a personal consequence tied to her virginity, urging her to embrace her role and fulfill her destiny.
The most striking craft element is the paradoxical advice: "You'le conquer thogh you subdued are." This suggests that true victory lies not in resisting but in accepting and embracing the marital union, transforming a perceived subjugation into a form of conquest. The image of rising "to the sun a Marigold" further reinforces this idea of blooming and fulfilling one's purpose after the night's "darke workes."
Ultimately, the lyrics are effective because they frame a moment of significant personal transition with both stern warning and hopeful anticipation. The speaker uses sharp, almost archaic language to imbue the night with a sense of destiny, urging the bride to move from a state of passive resistance to active fulfillment, where her "fruitlesse name" will be transformed into something fruitful and honored.
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