Love's Philosophy

By Percy Bysshe Shelley


The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by law divineIn one another's being mingle;--
Why not I with thine?

See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another
No sister flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;
What are all these kissings worth
If thou kiss not me?

Strangeness of Attraction

Throughout history, poets and novelists have agonized and celebrated the rapturous and frustrating differences in men and women which compel us to fall in love. For me, it's bizarre. I have always had great relationships of considerably length with wonderful girls. But in those long relationships, I have never had an avaricious passion.

More often than not, my most passionate encounters have been with grand friends who I was extremely. Girls with whom I have had prurient attraction towards and their feelings were almost always mutual. I am led to believe that more often than not, healthy attraction is mutual, pheremones match-up and sparks fly.

Although falling in love may seem to those involved to be a magical, remarkable happening, it is in acutally a universal, pragmatic means to an end: motivating human animals to reproduce and nurture offspring. Does this mean that human beings are genetically automated prior to birth to ultimately become quixotical, love-struck teenagers? Are the rollercoaster highs and lows and expensive and impractical rituals of human courtship actually purposeful inborn behaviors?

For me, thus far, I would be forced to answer no to the latter question. My most passionate and striking encounters have been short off-and on relationships in which I am only reminded now and again of their wonderousness. The scent of lavender, expensive Italian perfume or even patchouli send me back to a different but equally wonderful memory of a different but equally wonderful girl.

Beauty often wasn't a factor for my attraction either. And while, each of these girls was attractive in their own respect, my personal rememberance is not of their looks, but of the experiences I had with each of them. The long-relationships I had involved gorgeous girls, smart and kind. The short stints of passion I had involved cute girls, witty and wonderful to be with; a different kind of experience altogether.

(this is incomplete, Im not sure I can think any further into this)

When You Are Old - WB Yeats

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars