Who foremost now delight to cleave / With pliant arm thy glassy wave?

Far from the sun and summer-gale, / In thy green lap was Nature's darling laid.

They wish that you should be pliant so they (too) would be pliant.

Had other aims than my delight.

As the sword of the best tempered metal is most flexible, so the truly generous are most pliant and courteous in their behavior to their inferiors

Gabi was glassy eyed and his equilibrium was off.