Poems to dig deeper in the concept of love
During the 5 years of Liceo I attended in Italy I had the chance to study ancient, classical & contemporary literature in a very accurate way. Some of the poems I’ve studied keep on being stuck in my head & in my heart even many years later because of the impact they had on my emotional sphere. That’s why I recommend you this little list of poems: you may relate to the state of mind of the narrator & consequently feel less alone in what you’re experiencing in your love life. ❦
Items in this hypelist
Books
Petrarca - sonnet XC (90)
In Petrarch's Sonnet 90, he conveys the enduring yet unrequited love he harbors for Laura through vivid imagery and figurative language. He consistently portrays Laura's beauty and allure, comparing her to heavenly beings, which highlights his adoration. Despite his unrequited love causing him pain, Petrarch's love remains steadfast.
Tibullo 3, 20 - Elegie
In this poem the first-person narrator is in denial about the fact that his beloved one might have betrayed him. He explains how badly he wished he was deaf & how harsh is claiming someone’s disloyalty.
Catullo 5 (vivamus mea Lesbia)
The main subject of this Latin poem is passion: the author urges his lover to love him without caring what the others think about their relationship. The emblem of this uncontrollable passion is the hyperbole of the "kiss" that dominates the entire second part of the composition in an anaphoric repetition.
Ho sceso, dandoti il braccio, almeno un milione di scale - Eugenio Montale
Montale writes this poem right after the death of her beloved wife, as a matter of fact she’s the addressee of the poem.
Sappho 31 - phainetai moi
My favorite fragment about love, so relatable. The poem centres around three characters: a man and a woman, both otherwise unidentified, and the speaker. What captures the attention is the incredibly detailed description of the physical symptoms of jealousy that the speaker experiences towards the man who sits with her beloved.
