"Pastoral Dialogue" by Anne Killigrew

Anne Killigrew was a 17th century British poet and painter. Her poetry mostly described life at court and was not published until after her death.

Pastoral Dialogue 

Remember when you love, from that same hour
Your peace you put into your lover’s power;
From that same hour from him you laws receive,
And as he shall ordain, you joy, or grieve,
Hope, fear, laugh, weep; Reason aloof does stand,
Disabled both to act, and to command.
Oh cruel fetters! rather wish to feel
On your soft limbs, the galling weight of steel;
Rather to bloody wounds oppose your breast.
No ill, by which the body can be pressed
You will so sensible a torment find
As shackles on your captived mind.
The mind from heaven its high descent did draw,
And brooks uneasily any other law
Than what from Reason dictated shall be.
Reason, a kind of innate deity,
Which only can adapt to ev’ry soul
A yoke so fit and light, that the control
All liberty excels; so sweet a sway,
The same ’tis to be happy, and obey;
Commands so wise, and with rewards so dressed,
That the according soul replies “I’m blessed.”

This poem is both inquiry and lesson in Reason - a very popular topic during the Renaissance period. Traditionally, it's interesting to hear the argument from a woman that Reason is so powerful - or at least that would be the perception during the time period. Women were emotional and nurturing, lacking reason or even capability to reason until after the Romantic period. The title "Pastoral Dialogue" indicates this duality - "pastoral" referring to the role of the father and the perception of the family and traditions, dialogue referring to the two perceptions that are presented in the poem. While there is only one speaker throughout, it seems clear that this speaker is having a sort of dialogue, in the sense that she(?) is considering both emotion and reason. 

http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poem/180648