Song Meaning
The lyrics open with a conversation where Cloris, described as "bright," offers a cautious warning about Love. She paints Love as an elusive, unpredictable force, a "walking sprite" that "comes and goes againe." Her words suggest an intellectual understanding of Love as something vague and undefinable, something she "wot not what" it truly is.
This abstract caution is immediately challenged by the speaker. The speaker dismisses Cloris's warnings as mere "bugs to breed amazing," suggesting they are trivial fears or phantoms designed to cause wonder rather than genuine understanding. This creates a central tension between theoretical apprehension and direct, lived experience.
The true power of the lyrics lies in the speaker's sudden, profound realization. Despite Cloris's warnings about Love's elusive nature, the speaker sees its undeniable presence not as an external threat, but as an intense, internal force. The final lines deliver a striking image: "For in her eies I saw his torch light blazing."
This vivid image of a "torch light blazing" within Cloris's eyes makes the lyrics incredibly effective. It transforms Love from an abstract, wandering spirit into a palpable, fiery energy, deeply personal and immediate. The speaker's observation cuts through all the intellectualizing, revealing Love not as something to be wary of from afar, but as a powerful, undeniable force that shines from within the very person offering the warning.
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