"O Polly, you might have toyed and kissed, by keeping men off, you keep them on"

In this quote, John Gay is suggesting that Polly must use her charm and beauty to her benefit. He is suggesting that if she plays hard to get, it will make her preferred and attractive to guys. He is implying that if she keeps males at a range, they will be most likely to pursue her. This is a typical theme in literature, as it recommends that if a female is not too excited to offer her love away, she will be more likely to discover a male who genuinely likes her. This quote also indicates that if Polly is too eager to give her affections away, she may wind up with somebody who does not really love her. In essence, John Gay is suggesting that Polly must use her beauty and beauty to her benefit, which if she plays hard to get, she will be most likely to find a man who truly likes her.