...Love. The word itself has multiple meanings. However everyone knows what it is when they hear the word spoken. As Diane Ackerman puts it in her essay Love’s vocabulary “I believed what I had been told: that the idea of love was invented by the Greeks, and romantic love began in the Middle Ages. I know now how misguided such hearsay is. We can find romantic love in the earliest writings of our kind. Much of the vocabulary of love, and the imagery lovers use, has not changed for thousands of years” This shows that the idea of love has been around for thousands of years and even at the beginning of time. This could be considered an aspect of love. There are many aspects of love but like the quote “ Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” love is up to what the person feeling it wants it to be and this is why an aspect is that love has no perceivable definition. This is an aspect because, love can be interpreted in many ways, it can be identified in any time period or era and it can affect people in both a positive and negative manner. A key point in the aspect that love has no perceivable definition is that it can be interpreted many ways. For example Ackerman states that, “What is my goddaughter to think when she hears her mother say: “I love Ben & Jerry’s Cherry...
Words: 1139 - Pages: 5
...The Case for Polyamory In this essay, I am going to argue that it is possible for a legitimate romantic relationship to include more than two adults as long as everyone is freely participating and is fully aware of the circumstances involved. While monogamy still represents the ideal form of romantic relationships for many people, some would argue that it is simply not a realistic practice and not the only relationship choice that can work. Polyamory is the practice of having more than one romantic relationship at the same time. This is accomplished by everyone’s full knowledge and consent. Polyamorists place so much emphasis on having an honest, responsible and open communication in their relationships that they are able to overcome issues of jealousy. And lastly, by the acceptance and consent of all the parties involve, a person is able to have an extended support network that they can connect with on both the emotional and physical level. These premises are how I am going to argue my case for polyamorous relationships. What is polyamory? Polyamory is the practice of having a romantic relationship to include more than two consenting adults. I point out “consenting” as an important piece of the definition because a central principle of polyamory is garnering your partner’s consent to date, have sexual relations with or even fall in love with multiple people. The notion of consent to me is significant in that I think it is a necessary condition in order for this type of relationship...
Words: 1779 - Pages: 8
...Love around the World Jenny Beebe Definition Essay English 101, section 5A1 Dr. Love 16 October 2013 Love is an emotion and a feeling of deep affection. Love can be associated with fondness and tenderness. Usually, people who love will do anything that they can for their loved ones. They stick with them through good times and bad. Sometimes love can be confused with the word “like.” Like is very different from love in the sense that it means something more like “compare” or “relate” while love means “passionate.” Love also comes in many different forms. These forms of love include material love, friendship love, family love, and romantic love which are some of the most important forms. One of the most common types of love is the love for material things. Material love varies from person to person. Some people love money while others may love the clothes or shoes they wear. For example, a person may absolutely love the brand of clothes they wear and that may be all that a person will buy. People may love to shop because they love clothes, shoes, or other items. Such people tend to spend way too much money on these items, especially when they tend not to use the items they buy. When people buy too many shoes they tend not to wear them. One pair of shoes is the maximum a person can wear at a time. Instead people tend to buy more than needed because they love to shop or love a certain kind of item. You also have people who love beautiful things. Sometimes...
Words: 1142 - Pages: 5
...(Weeks, 1986; Foucault, 1978, cited in Scherrer, 2008; 621). Most inquiries into asexuality have approached it as either behaviour (lack of sexual acts) or a lack of desire for sexual acts. However, Scherrer argues that the complexity and variability of asexuality also encompasses those who are interested in romantic attachment but with limited or no physical contact, along with others who are simply not interested in sex (Scherrer, 2008: 634), a discourse appears frequently in which self-identified asexuals participate. It is in this context where identity labels such as demisexual, hyposexual, romantic or aromantic asexual, hyporomantic, straight-A, gay-A, bi-A, grey-A, etc. take on meanings, as asexuals attempt to position themselves not only according to the genders of people to whom they experience romantic attraction, but also according to the degrees to which (and the ways in which) they do so (DeLuzio Chasin, 2011; 713). It is already clear from the language of asexuality that it positions itself as an alternative to sexual, instead of as an alternative to straight or queer, with significant variations in both ‘romantic orientation’ and the degree to which romantic and sexual attraction is, or is not experienced. While the emergence of asexuality as a separate identity has disturbed the limited equilibrium that has developed between heteronomativity and queer identities in the last few decades, asexual non-conformity to either hetero or queer normativity has resulted in...
Words: 4208 - Pages: 17
...support for the Protestant Netherlands in their military resistance to the rule of Catholic Spain. When an English force was sent to the Netherlands in 1585, Sidney was given command of a garrison, and died from wounds sustained in a military engagement. Sidney’s major writings probably belong to the period 1578–84, though none can be dated with certainty. Arcadia, a prose narrative interspersed with verse, combines chivalric romance, pastoral, comedy, and debate on ethics and politics. It survives in a complete earlier version and an unfinished expanded version. Astrophil and Stella, a cycle of 108 sonnets and 11 songs, is one of the first English adaptations of Petrarchan love poetry. By turns witty and tormented, it is a lightly disguised and no doubt fictionally embellished treatment of Sidney’s thwarted love for Penelope Devereux, sister of the Earl of Essex. The most likely date for the composition of the Defence is 1580–82. Like Sidney’s other writings, it circulated only in manuscript during his lifetime, and was published by two separate printers in 1595 under the titles Defence of Poesy and Apology for Poetry. It is one of several English defenses against moralistic or philosophical attacks on poetry, drama, and music. One of these attacks, Stephen Gosson’s School of Abuse (1579), was dedicated to Sidney and possibly prompted the writing of the Defence. The Defence has the structure of a classical oration, a literary form much utilized in Renaissance education and later...
Words: 1045 - Pages: 5
...Victoria Britos, Introduction to Literature Does time defeat love? Answer with reference to the Shakespeare’s sonnets read in class. Does the passing of time make love weaker or stronger? In Shakespeare´s sonnets Love does not have a single definition, but rather an intangible collection of characteristics. Together they create a powerful force, which seems to defeat all obstacles. The aim of this essay is to identify how Shakespeare uses nature, human physical appearance and irony throughout sonnet 116, in order to define love as an overwhelming force, that triumphs over time. In sonnet 116 Shakespeare uses imagery and metaphors from nature to represent both, what love is and what it is not. He presents a metaphor saying that love “looks on tempests and is never shaken”. The speaker tries to represent in our minds that real love is present in spite of harsh situations. When we really do love someone, it is possible to get through hard times. These bad situations, can work as experiences which make our love become stronger and thus help us maintain a steady relationship. Moreover, the speaker says that love “… is the star to every wandering bark”. The star makes reference to the “pole star” which was used to help navigators find their right way home. We can interpret these words by saying that when we are going through a bad situation love leads us to the right path. On the other hand, the speaker explains what love is not by saying “Let me not the marriage of true minds admit...
Words: 865 - Pages: 4
...Separate Church and State One has preconceived notions about who might invest time and energy into writing about the subject of gay marriage. The two most likely types of authors are either gay rights activists, likely to be gay themselves, or members of the far-right Christian movements who would find that lifestyle repugnant and against God and nature. For this reason, Howard Moody’s article entitled “Gay Marriage Shows We Need to Separate Church and State” captivates and intrigues the reader because he belongs to neither camp. Surprisingly, the speaker is a protestant pastor who has been married for sixty years. The arguments presented in this essay are from a different point of view, giving a new perspective on an ongoing national debate provided in an unexpected voice. Moody discusses the theological aspects of marriage. The church defines marriage as a formal union between a man and a woman. Moody explains that the Bible is not as concise on marriage as people may expect. Abraham had multiple wives; Saint Paul said, “It is better not to marry”(158). The Bible verse that Moody is using comes from 1 Corinthians 7. The verse explains that it is better for a man not to marry if he can refrain from having sex, but since sexual immortality occurs man should marry to avoid sex outside of marriage (NIV Study Bible). A less informed reader would take this as meaning people should not marry. A more informed reader could recognize that there is more to this verse and further review...
Words: 1121 - Pages: 5
...Definition of Success Throughout Life In the Meriam Webster dictionary, success is defined as a favorable or desired outcome (Success). Despite this, success’s perceived meaning is accomplishing one’s goals or making one’s dreams a reality. It is important to note that one’s personal definition of success can determine one’s maturity and ideals. However, on a personal level success is tricky to define as it changes through one’s life. Another bump in defining success is that it is different for every individual. It largely depends on the circumstances of one’s upbringing as well. For a child, success is generally small scale and achievable in a single day. One example is their ability to convince their parents to buy them toys. Friendship is also a big way they define success. How much they learn in elementary and preschool is how they might define success as well. Throughout a child’s early life, this small view of success is largely uniform and does not expand until they enter high school. Success’s definition changes and starts to vary from person to person for the first time when they enter high school. For the scholarly, academics determine whether they are a success. Others, namely the athletes, define success as how well they do in sports. Finally, there are the nerdy who define success, as having more...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...Final Critical Essay What is love? Love knows no reasons. Love knows no lies. Love defies all reasons. Love has no eyes. Love is not blind; it sees but it doesn't mind. Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation. Love is so easy to feel, so hard to explain; easy to get, so hard to let go; easy to spell, so hard to define. Love is an emotion that consists of three components; intimacy, passion and commitment, it is an emotional and physical feeling which takes over your whole state of mind and how you feel. There are many definitions and views of love, and the Merriam-Webster dictionary has ten definitions for love in it but it seems as though it doesn’t have any good definitions of love. However I carefully searched for an adequate definition and it was found in the most surprising place, a place that should have been the most obvious but not wanting to start controversy, I refused to see what was sitting right in front of me, a poem. One might say that a poem couldn’t possibly demonstrate the meaning of love. Conversely, many disagree; a poem could in fact demonstrate the meaning and feeling of love. A poem are the words that come from a person’s heart, mind, or soul, meaning it is personal and no one can know the true definition and meaning of something unless one has experienced it. With that being said, a poem, specifically, a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How Do I Love Thee?” demonstrated the preeminent meaning of love, compared to all other...
Words: 3004 - Pages: 13
...Works Of Literature In The Road Novel English Literature Essay Contemporary authors are influenced by those who preceded them in terms of both the form and content of their works. This is evident in Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road. McCarthy chooses not to imitate those greats that came before him such as Milton, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, or Tennyson in terms of form; in fact, he deliberately avoids almost all conventional choices in terms of form. However, he is obviously influenced by their ideas. He ties together Wordsworth’s concern at his society losing touch with nature and Tennyson’s exploration of what a society’s priorities should be. He creates a world in which civilization has dissolved and the ecosystem is in chaos. It is implied that the society has lost touch with nature and this has resulted in the death of global civilization. His goal seems to be to awaken the world to the impact that humans have had on the environment and how that can or perhaps will be the source of our downfall. This concern is comparable to the fears of many in the environmental movement that humanity is destroying the natural world and unless drastic changes are made now, this degradation will be permanent. Many prominent politicians in the United States, such as Al Gore, author of An Inconvenient Truth, include environmental responsibility as a core aspect of their political platform. Indeed, in Europe there are many parties whose only focus is environmentally responsible legislation. The...
Words: 1698 - Pages: 7
...Love From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Love (disambiguation). Archetypal lovers Romeo and Juliet portrayed by Frank Dicksee Love is an emotion of a strong affection and personal attachment.[1] Love is also a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection —"the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another".[2] Love may describe actions towards others or oneself based on compassion or affection.[3] In English, love refers to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from pleasure ("I loved that meal") to interpersonal attraction ("I love my partner"). "Love" may refer specifically to the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love, to the sexual love of eros, to the emotional closeness of familial love, to the platonic love that defines friendship,[4] or to the profound oneness or devotion of religious love[5], or to a concept of love that encompasses all of those feelings. This diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, compared to other emotional states. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.[6] Love may be understood as part of the survival instinct, a function to keep...
Words: 7542 - Pages: 31
...“the expression or application of human creativity skills and imagination in a visual form such as: painting, scripture,” (n d). This definition is not exhaustive. In reality, there exists no a single or universal definition for the art. In a magazine published on 2017, art is described as follow: “the communication of intimate concepts that cannot be faithfully portrayed by words alone. And because words alone are not enough, we must find some other vehicle to carry our intent,” (2017). According to ThoughtCo. Arts are generally fallen into three categories: representation, expression and form. This is one of the most effective...
Words: 549 - Pages: 3
...Theme Love Like many of Shakespeare's sonnets, this poem is an expression of love. In order to express your love, you have to talk about it, define it, examine it. In telling his mistress that he loves her, our speaker also has to give us an idea about what his love is like. This poem is partly about where love comes from, what motivates our feelings of affection for someone else. Specifically, it's about finding love in spite of (or maybe even because of) physical flaws. Appearances "Appearances" is a major theme in Sonnet 130, since our speaker spends a lot of the poem talking about what's wrong with his mistress's looks. He does a pretty complete dissection of her face, her body, and her smell. He doesn't say anything at all about her personality, but instead sticks to his laundry list of problems with her appearance. This gives Shakespeare a chance to poke fun at our obsession with looks and to show how ridiculous it is to ask any person to live up to some ideal of perfect beauty. Women and Femininity In Sonnet 130, the theme "Women and Femininity" is connected to the idea of appearances. This poem is all about female beauty and our expectations and stereotypes about the way women ought to look. You know how in magazines women pretty much tend to look the same? They all fit into a very narrow definition of what is beautiful. Essentially, the speaker in this poem is pointing out that love poetry does the same thing. It makes women into goddesses, not real human beings...
Words: 747 - Pages: 3
...recent studies in neuroscience and behavior and the importance of language have led to the development of Relational Frame Theory and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as an alternative approach. In this essay I will outline the relationship models comparing and contrasting them Social exchange theory Social exchange theory analyses interactions between two parties by examining the costs and benefits to each. The key point of the theory is that it assumes the two parties are both giving and receiving items of value from each other. Under this theory, interactions are only likely to continue if both parties feel they coming out of the exchange with more than they are giving up that is, if there is a positive amount of profit for both parties involved. The Social Exchange Theory by Thibaut and Kelly (1978) originates from economy sociology and psychology. It is also a well know theory in sociology that explains the variations and modifications of social relationships development between individuals. The social exchange theory assumes that all human relationships are a matter of costs and rewards and people evaluate the worth of their relationship to make a rational decision of whether or not to progress. To understand the content of the Social Exchange theory, the definitions of costs and rewards must be understood. Cost is the part of a relationship where parties have to place work and exertion. An example of a cost is arranging regular meetings, which usually take...
Words: 2516 - Pages: 11
...plays in Shaw’s collection called Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant, and it subsequently gained popularity as a written work. Included in this collection of plays are lengthy explanatory prefaces, which note significant issues in the plays and which have been invaluable to critics. In place of brief stage directions, Shaw’s plays also included lengthy instructions and descriptions. Another unique aspect of Arms and the Man was its use of a woman as the central character. Set during the four-month-long Serbo-Bulgarian War that occurred between November 1885 and March 1886, this play is a satire on the foolishness of glorifying something so terrible as war, as well as a satire on the foolishness of basing your affections on idealistic notions of love. These themes brought reality and a timeless lesson to the comic stage. Consequently, once Shaw’s genius was recognized, Arms and the Man became one of Shaw’s most popular plays and has remained a classic ever since. Arms and the Man Summary Act 1 It is November 1885, during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. Raina Petkoff, a young Bulgarian woman, is in her bedchamber when her mother, Catherine, enters and announces there has been a battle close...
Words: 7430 - Pages: 30
