FROM THE editors January 17, 2005 Issue

Don't worry—Love's got a hold on you

Everyone wants to feel loved, and deep down everyone wants to give love. But according to most writers and poets, not to mention everyday folks kevetching over dinner about family and friends, love seems to be in short supply.

Where did this longing for love come from?

Well, one kind of romantic love began in the 14th century when the French poet Petrarch wrote about his vision of love. His desired love-object was the distant, unattainable, even unknowable Laura, eternally unavailable to him, and so idealized that she couldn't possibly live up to the Laura of his imagination.

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January 17, 2005
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