Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
Lines 17-18
Of time, by woman's reckoning,
You've saved, and so may spend on this
- The speaker thinks the woman has saved time by not doing all the things he lists in the first part of the poem.
- A "woman's reckoning" might mean things that are important from a woman's standpoint. This might be offensive to people who think activities shouldn't be separated by gender (shopping, gardening, and lunching), but it might also be completely harmless (reading, training a dog, and attending college). We'll leave it as something for you to form your own opinions about.
- The last word of line 18, "this" hints again at what they're up to, but doesn't give us anything concrete. C'mon, Wilbur, we're waiting!
Lines 19-20
You who had rather lie in bed and kiss
Than anything.
- Busted! They've been kissing in bed all this time. We had suspected something romantic was going on, and now our suspicions have been confirmed.
- So this woman (and presumably our speaker too) would rather lie in bed together than do just about anything else.
- This poem is taking a very sweet turn! It's almost as if Wilbur is arguing that nothing is more important than spending time with the one you love. Aww.