The Art of Love, Symptoms of Love, Sonnet XI

                Millay believes that love isn’t the cure absolutely everything, and she is right. Even though love is the closest thing we have to magic, it doesn’t mean that it can do wonders like “Fill the thickened lung with breath/Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone” (page 320). However, people are dying because of the lack of love in people’s life, according to Millay. I think that love is something that almost everyone wants in their life, although, it doesn’t have to be romantic love. To make a general statement, everyone wants someone to have a shoulder to lean on. Life’s not always easy, and no one can do everything on their own. There needs to be some kind of friendly contact in people’s lives. Overall, I think Millay has a good idea about love. Love’s not the cure for everything, but it’s nice to have in life.

                

                          The Art of Courtly Love
                          Andreas Capellanus (c. Late 12^th Century C.E.)

                From the section, From Whence Love is Named, Capellanus states “For he who loves is caught in the chains of desire and wishes to catch another with his hook” (page 299). This to me is very true. I know that when I have a crush on a cute guy, it’s like he’s the only one I can think about.  People who deny this are definitely lying! It’s hard not to be consumed with thoughts of your crush—especially during adolescence!

                In another section, What is the Effect of Love, he talks about how love can change a person so drastically. He says “Love makes an ugly and rude person shine with all beauty” (page 299). Why this quote “speaks to me” is because I believe a person who never smiles isn’t very attractive. I want them to tell them to “Turn that frown upside down!” However, love can bring out the best in us and ultimately make you happy. When we’re happy, normally we don’t scowl. Usually people are smiling, laughing, and have a glow about them. How could someone be in love with a person and display sadness about their countenance?

                The Third Dialogue also is very interesting. I couldn’t believe that this woman of higher-class was being so rude to the lower-class man. I felt bad for the man because the woman dismissed his feelings for her because of his legs and feet. She simply couldn’t look past the physical flaws of him. However, I loved the man because he really tells the woman off by saying, “You should learn to object not to one’s legs but to one’s morals, since in objecting to legs you seem to be objecting to divine nature” (page 301). I liked this because I am a firm believer in having standards and having self worth. I always thought that quality of a person made them more attractive than the people who are too concerned about looks.

Symptoms of Love
Robert Graves (1895-1985 C.E.)

                This poem was interesting. In the first stanza it reads, “Love is a universal migraine,/A bright stain on the vision/Blotting out reason” (page 318). I thought this was a funny way to describe love. I see where Graves is coming from because that significant other can get in the way of our thoughts. The thoughts of the people we like can become a distraction, making it hard to be a part of reality. He also says that “Symptoms of true love/Are…jealousy” (page 318). I don’t know if I agree with that statement. When people are jealous of others in a relationship, it seems to send off a message that labels that person as selfish. When people are jealous, they are more concerned about themselves and how they are feeling. Not that I’m saying that we shouldn’t pay attention to our own feelings, but we should be careful not to do it in a selfish way. I believe that true love isn’t jealous because you should always be thinking of the other person in the partnership since you’re not the only one in the picture.

Sonnet: Love is Not All
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950 C.E.)

Millay believes that love isn’t the cure absolutely everything, and she is right. Even though love is the closest thing we have to magic, it doesn’t mean that it can do wonders like “Fill the thickened lung with breath/Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone” (page 320). However, people are dying because of the lack of love in people’s life, according to Millay. I think that love is something that almost everyone wants in their life, although, it doesn’t have to be romantic love. To make a general statement, everyone wants someone to have a shoulder to lean on. Life’s not always easy, and no one can do everything on their own. There needs to be some kind of friendly contact in people’s lives. Overall, I think Millay has a good idea about love. Love’s not the cure for everything, but it’s nice to have in life.