Love (III) Summary

In this three-stanza poem, the speaker converses with Love. In the first stanza, he states that he is unworthy to be welcomed by Love. In the second stanza, Love tells the speaker that, because Love/God is his creator, he has nothing to be ashamed of. Although the speaker continues to protest that he is guilty of sin, in the third stanza, he ultimately stops resisting Love’s invitations, and “sit[s] and eat[s]” Love’s "meat." This conversation is notable in that it expresses a religious theme through the language of flirtation and courtship.