The Gardener 47: If You Would Have It So
The Gardener 47: If You Would Have It So - meaning Summary
Self-effacing Devotion
A speaker offers to withdraw any part of themselves—song, gaze, presence—if it causes discomfort to the beloved. Each stanza presents a conditional renunciation: singing, looking, walking the same path, entering the garden, boating by the bank. The poem frames devotion as self-effacement, valuing the beloved’s ease over the speaker’s expression. The tone is humble and conciliatory, emphasizing respect and restraint in companionship.
Read Complete AnalysesIf you would have it so, I will end my singing. If it sets your heart aflutter, I will take away my eyes from your face. If it suddenly startles you in your walk, I will step aside and take another path. If it confuses you in your flower-weaving, I will shun your lonely garden. If it makes the water wanton and wild, I will not row my boat by your bank.
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