Specifically, they plead with the goddess to grant them the love of a specific person, referred to as "the one" or "the boy" throughout the poem. The persona expresses a deep yearning and desperation for this love, emphasizing their suffering and the overwhelming power of their desire.
Here are some key lines that illustrate this:
* "Venus, goddess of love, most beautiful of all, hear my prayer!"
* "Grant me the love of the one I desire, the boy who holds my heart captive."
* "My love is burning, a fire that consumes me, I cannot bear this pain."
* "Have pity on me, Venus, and let your love bring us together."
The persona's plea for Aphrodite's intervention reveals the poem's theme of unrequited love and the desperate hope for its fulfillment.