What Is This Thing Called Love Poems

Love, an enigmatic force that has captivated the human heart since time immemorial, has inspired countless poets to immortalize its essence in verse. Through the evocative words of these literary masters, we embark on a poetic odyssey, exploring the intricate tapestry of love's multifaceted nature.

What Is This Thing Called Love: Poems

by Kim Addonizio

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	356 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	129 pages

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The Yearning of Romantic Love

In the realm of romantic love, poets have captured the transformative power of desire and the intoxicating heights of passion. William Wordsworth, in his sonnet "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802," paints a vivid picture of London at dawn, bathed in "ethereal light," evoking the overwhelming sense of adoration:

Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This city now doth like a garment wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theaters, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

John Keats, in his iconic ode "Endymion," explores the consuming nature of romantic love, where the beloved becomes an obsession, an all-consuming desire:

A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

The Agony of Unrequited Love

Not all love stories end in blissful unions. Poets have also explored the bittersweet pangs of unrequited love, the unfulfilled yearning that can leave a lasting ache in the heart. Emily Dickinson, in her poignant poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," conveys the speaker's resignation and sorrow as she journeys to the afterlife, accompanied by Death as her enigmatic suitor:

Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality.

Edgar Allan Poe, known for his haunting and atmospheric tales, penned the enigmatic poem "The Raven," where the speaker's obsession with his lost love, Lenore, manifests in the incessant cawing of a raven:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— When the nights were long and cold, and the days were short and old, And the fire burned low and the wind blew cold, And the snow fell fast and the ice grew bold, And the raven sat upon the bust of Pallas just above my door, Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

The Enduring Legacy of Love

Love, in all its manifestations, leaves an enduring mark on the human soul. Poets have celebrated the transformative power of love, its capacity to heal wounds, inspire dreams, and illuminate our existence. Pablo Neruda, in his celebrated poem "Sonnet XVII," pays homage to the enduring nature of love, even beyond the boundaries of mortality:

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

As the curtain falls on our poetic exploration of love, we are left with a profound appreciation for the complexities and contradictions that define this enigmatic emotion. Through the words of these literary giants, we have glimpsed the ecstasy of romantic passion, the agony of unrequited love, and the enduring legacy of love's transformative power.

May these timeless poems continue to inspire and provoke, stirring the embers of our own hearts and deepening our understanding of the enigmatic force that has captivated humanity throughout the ages.

What Is This Thing Called Love: Poems

by Kim Addonizio

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	356 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	129 pages

FREE