If women could be fair

Song Meaning

This poem opens with a hypothetical: if women were consistently fair and unchanging, the narrator wouldn't be surprised by men becoming subservient to win their favor. However, the immediate pivot to their inherent "frail" nature makes him laugh at men who forget this reality. The core of the poem hinges on this stark contrast between an idealized, static beauty and the perceived, fickle reality of women's choices. The central tension arises from the narrator's observation of women's "choice" and their tendency to "change," preferring the "worst" and acting like "haggards wilde." This wildness, scorning reason for will, is presented as something men should "shake" loose. Yet, paradoxically, the poem then shifts to describe men actively engaging in this dynamic for their own "sport." The most striking craft element is the extended metaphor of falconry. Women are compared to "haggards wilde" and "bussards" that men might "shake from the fist" and "let them flie." This imagery frames the pursuit and eventual capture of female affection as a game of sport, where the men, despite their feigned disdain for the women's "follies," are ultimately the ones orchestrating the chase for their own "sweet content." The effectiveness lies in this cynical, almost detached amusement. The narrator positions himself as an observer who sees through the game, yet admits to participating in it. The final couplet, "To play with fooles, Oh what a foole was I," encapsulates this self-aware, yet resigned, participation in a pursuit he deems inherently foolish, highlighting the complex and often self-deceptive nature of romantic pursuit.