That I have wooed not as I should
a creature made of clay.

Upon the discovery of a would-be love, there is a temptation to fill in all the unknown aspects of a person with favorable characteristics and qualities. Over time one inevitably discovers that many of those unknown areas are not in fact as had been previously hoped. This can be especially poignant upon the collapse of a relationship when all those hopeful assumptions fall to the wayside and what remains can appear to be as insignificant as a lump of clay.