Love As An Entity

Love as an Entity

There are different varieties of love, each with its own capabilities to invoke powerful emotions. An idealistic love is a form of love which in many ways is quixotic and lacking essential attributes, proof of which can be found in the works of Christopher Marlowe and Sir Walter Ralegh. Another potent form of love is pure love which is unconditional and timeless as expressed by Shakespeare and Elizabeth Berrett Browning. On a different note, a twisted love is flawed and bound to fail as revealed by Robert Browning.

In Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd and His Love" and Ralegh's "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd," an idealistic yet inadequate love is displayed between a Shepherd and his Lover. Love cannot be bought. Even with "buckles of the purest gold," the Shepherd could not win his lover over (1.20). The Shepherd tries to show his love in the form of material goods, but unfortunately a relationship built on materialism does not make for a resilient relationship. Trust is one of the many prerequisites of love. Ralegh feels that the Nymph wants to believe the Shepherd's words, the Nymph however has a hard time believing that "truth exists in every shepherd's tongue" (1.2). Trust in words is a virtue that is built over time and cannot simply be fabricated without a connection. Stability is another necessity closely tied to trust. The Nymph questions their relationship and wonders if love will still be able to breed even after their youth (1.21). Without the promise of emotional security, the Nymph refuses to commit to an unguided relationship. By making up for the short comings of an idealistic relationship, a genuine love is allowed to blossom.

Pure love can overcome obstacles as depicted through Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130," "Sonnet 18," and Elizabeth Browning's "Sonnet 43." The idea of beauty varies from person to person. Shakespeare acknowledges in his "Sonnet 130" that even though "music hath a more pleasing sound" than his lover's voice; her voice carries its own unique beauty (1.10). Shakespeare embraces his lover's flaws as beautiful and is able to turn her imperfections into art. Incidentally, true love is also able to be revived in the form of art. In Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18," he "gives life to [his lover]" in the form of his timeless words of devotion (1.14). By reminding people of future generations of his eternal love for this woman, he once again gives life to their once forgotten love. In addition to revitalization, loyalty is another timeless trait of true love. Elizabeth Browning's "Sonnet 43" considers love to not only last a lifetime, but to reach its "[zenith] after death" (1.14). In most cases, relationships do not prove to be flawless or untainted; at times relationships can stray into the domain of the unnaturally warped.

Twisted relationships of unhealthy and immoral behaviors are found in Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover." A relationship in which a couple is