Meg and Moll (Symbol)
When explaining to John that she cannot and will not love him, the speaker suggests that he may instead find love or at least pity from "Meg or Moll." These are not specific women, but instead symbolic representations of an anonymous and unremarkable womanhood. This is made all the more evident from the interchangeability of their one-syllable names. In context, the speaker hints that a more generic woman, behaving according to standard gender norms, would likely feel obligated to give in to John's advances. Additionally, "Moll" is a colloquial term to refer to a prostitute. The speaker sets herself apart from these symbols of generic womanhood through her own refusal to give in to those advances.
Time and Ephemerality (Motif)
One way that the speaker brings urgency to her plea is by reminding John of the passage of time, and thereby pointing out that he is tarnishing, wasting, or even shortening the limited amount of time available to each character. Early in the poem, the speaker compares John to a sickly person or a ghost, as if to say that his lovelorn hovering is actually bringing his life to an end (metaphorically if not literally). She also asks John not to reject other women on her behalf, in another subtle reference to wasted and unrecoverable time, lost to conflict and heartbreak. Later, she begs John not to mar their days, comparing their fleeting lives to the flights of songbirds.
Promises and Commitments (Motif)
Promises crop up again and again in this poem. In the first half of the work, the speaker primarily returns to her own past promises, or lack thereof. In the second half, the speaker instead tries to forge a new promise or contract with John. The poem opens with the speaker's reminder that she has never promised her love to John. She repeats this claim and similar ones, as if hoping that John will subsequently come to view his actions as unfair, futile, or unjustified. When this seems not to work, the speaker stops reviewing her old (lack of) promises, and instead makes an offer of friendship. This offer comes with commitments and conditions for both herself and John. While the nature of the promises discussed changes throughout the poem, it is clear overall that the speaker has a great deal of faith in these sorts of commitments and sees them as the best way to achieve peace with John.
