Right from the beginning, it's evident that this poem is a declaration of love from the speaker to his beloved. The use of "your" in the second line, particularly in an intimate setting, indicates that the speaker is addressing a woman. This kind of direct address is a common feature in romantic poetry. As the poem progresses, readers notice that the speaker is creating an imagined scene, a form of role-playing where he and his wife are such passionate lovers that their affection leaves a scent detectable to others. Beyond discussing this passionate aroma, the poem explores the journey of love itself, charting their relationship from courtship to marriage. The speaker reminisces about when they were dating, a time of newfound love so intense that they had to be discreet around the woman's family to conceal their true emotions.

Although this is mainly a love poem, it also highlights the speaker's sexual longing for his wife and their shared desire. Beginning with a sensual image, the poem starts with the imagined cinnamon peeler leaving marks of his desire on his wife's pillow as cinnamon dust. As the poem continues, it becomes increasingly erotic. The speaker's powerful yearning is expressed in multiple ways, most notably as a scent noticeable by both the "blind" and "strangers."

Regrettably, the speaker observes that during their dating phase, this fragrance was also noticeable to the woman's mother and brothers. Scent is a powerful sense, used in the poem to expose concealed emotions and intentions. To hide these feelings, the speaker had to mask his desires with even more potent aromas, like saffron and honey. Besides uncovering hidden emotions, the poem indicates that scent can trigger intense emotions and memories. While the poem starts with a hypothetical situation, the speaker’s reference to the cinnamon peeler and the irresistible cinnamon scent—a symbol of his desire—leads him to reflect on his own memories of yearning for his wife during their courtship.