I never said I loved you, John
This opening line makes the speaker's firmness, resolve, and bluntness visible from the very start of the poem. By beginning with the word "I," the speaker fully claims her own stance without embarrassment rather than shying away from the consequences of her actions. She states the crux of her argument in brisk, direct language: not merely that she does not love John, but that she has never given him a reason to believe she does. Finally, she concludes by using John's name, making it clear who she addresses and making it impossible for him to mistake her meaning. Most of the words in this line are one syllable, including the name "John," furthering the feeling of blunt clarity.
Why will you haunt me with a face as wan
As shows an hour-old ghost?
Here, the speaker's question portrays John as a somewhat tragic figure, worthy of pity but not of love or desire. She explicitly links John to ghostliness, and in doing so implicitly links him to sickness and death. Therefore, in what is essentially the poem's only description of John, he is nearly disembodied and certainly not an especially appealing romantic figure. The assonant "A" and "O" sounds in the words "haunt," "wan," "shows," and "ghost," are dramatic, almost moaning vowels, which add to the impression of John as a sad, if slightly ridiculous, ghostly person.
I dare say Meg or Moll would take Pity upon you, if you'd ask
These lines cement the impression of John as a pathetic figure (or at least cementing our knowledge that the speaker considers him one). Even when urging John to pursue another relationship, the speaker suggests that he will succeed only by cultivating pity. John is unable to make himself desirable by other means, at least as far as the speaker is concerned. The speaker also seems to dismiss any women who might potentially be interested in John. She does not describe specific individuals, instead referring broadly to "Meg and Moll." This is made more loaded by the connotations of the name "Moll," which has historically been used as a derogatory slang term to refer to maids or prostitutes. Generally, while appearing to encourage John in this line, the speaker is actually expressing deep skepticism and frustration towards him.
Let's mar our pleasant days no more, Song-birds of passage, days of youth:
Here, the speaker pivots tonally and strategically. Rather than simply dismissing John, she uses lyrical, nostalgic descriptive language to coax him into changing his mind. In particular, she appeals to the idea of youth, suggesting that he is squandering his own and ruining hers by stirring up conflict. The language here is somewhat cliché and muted, in contrast to the vivid, sharp refusals of the poem's earlier passages. This mutedness suggests that the speaker is swallowing her pride or going against her instincts with this more-diplomatic approach. Still, the reference to marred days and wasted youth brings a new urgency to the poem, hinting that the speaker needs to free herself from John quickly if she is to reclaim her life.
Here's friendship for you if you like; but love,— No, thank you, John.
The closing lines of the poem shrink all of the speaker's previous strategies down into a tight space. First, she offers him friendship as a compromise, with the phrase "if you like" suggesting a diplomatic approach in which John is allowed to make a final decision. The word "no" displays the speaker's trademark firmness and honesty, but it is followed by the words "thank you." These words display the speaker's attempt to persuade John with politeness, and perhaps also mock gender norms that dictate female politeness even in circumstances of extreme duress. The comma between "no" and "thank you" emphasizes the contrast between these two approaches. Finally, the repetition of the addressee's name at the end of the poem can sound both conciliatory and accusing.
