Why should I trap myself in trouble by acting mad with them? If the heart experiences wild frenzy, so be it; the wretched thing is already mad anyway.
Here, the poet shares a charming and wry debate between practical reason and a helpless heart. The sensible mind protests against courting ruin and acting crazy for the beloved, trying to stay safe from the troubles of love. Yet with a knowing shrug, the speaker concedes that the heart is an incurable, lovesick fool already—so letting it drown in wild frenzy won't change its doomed nature anyway.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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