Different meanings of the word Love:

The descriptors of love would be so many, one could write pages just with the many variants. Quotes on this subject are incredibly diverse and fascinating.

Music that has been inspired by love and absence includes one of my favourite pieces: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 26 Opus 81a, Les Adieux Sonata, which encapsulates Farewell, Absence and Return, written 1809-1810

Literature Absence: ‘When I died last, and, Dear, I die

As often as from thee I go.’

JOHN DONNE 1573-1631

From classical to popular music, love has been a constant.

‘Love, love me do’, the Beetles song suggests the yearning of youthful love. I’m sure you all have your favourite pop songs incorporating love.

Returning to quotations:                                                                                                                Love: an addiction

‘One can find women who have never had one love affair, but it is rare indeed to find any who have had only one.’

Francois, DUC DE LA ROCHEPOUCAULD 1613-1680

Love: blind

‘This sex attraction, though it is so useful for keeping the world peopled, has nothing to do with beauty: it blinds us to ugliness instead of opening our eyes to beauty.’

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW 1856-1950

Love: faith

‘Who loves believes the impossible.’

ELIZABETH M. BROWNING 1809-1861

Love: in any case

‘It is best to love wisely, no doubt; but to love foolishly is better than not to be able to love at all.’

W.M.THACKERAY 1811-1863

Love: cowardice

‘When Death to either shall come,

-I pray it be first to me.’

ROBERT BRIDGES 1844-1930

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Shakespeare alone has written masses on this subject. Our word love is so diverse; it captures the deep and meaningful as well as the frivolous and light. A subject for another day perhaps?

We each have many types of love relationships — parents, children, spouses, friends. And they’re not always with people; you may love an animal, or a place. Is there a single idea or definition that runs through all the varieties of “love”?

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/i-want-to-know-what-love-is/

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Insults had class:

These glorious insults are from an era before the English Language got boiled down to four-letter words.

The exchange between Churchill and Lady Astor:

Said she, ‘If you were my husband I’d give you poison,’ He said, ‘If you were my wife, I’d drink it.’

A Member of Parliament to Disraeli:

‘Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease.’ ‘That depends, Sir,’ said Disraeli, ‘whether I embrace your policies or your mistress.’

‘He had delusions of adequacy.’ Walter Kerr

‘He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.’ Winston Churchill

‘I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.’ Clarence Darrow

‘He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.’ William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

‘Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I’ll waste no time reading it.’ Moses Hadas

‘I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.’ Mark Twain

‘He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.’ Oscar Wilde

I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend…. If you have one.’ George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill                                                                          ‘Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second… If there is one.’ Winston Churchill, in response.

‘I feel so miserable without you; it’s almost like having you here.’  Stephen Bishop

‘He is a self-made man and worships his creator.’ John Bright

‘I’ve just learned of his illness. Let’s hope it’s nothing trivial.’  Irvin S. Cobb

‘He’s not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others.’  Samuel Johnson

‘He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.’  Paul Keating

‘In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily.’  Charles, Count Talleyrand

‘Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?’ Mark Twain

‘Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.  Oscar Wilde

‘He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts…..For support rather than illumination.’ Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

‘He has Van Gogh’s ear for music.’ Billy Wilder

‘I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.’  Groucho Marx

Here is a great list of quotes, but where are the women? So I shall end with a female quote:

‘A woman has to be twice as good as a man to go half as far.’  Fannie Hurst