Love's many meanings and forms

Special Valentine's Day newsletter − love across boundaries US Edition - Today's top story: Love songs in Hindu devotion – the Tamil poets who took on the female voice to express their intense longing for the divine [View in browser]( US Edition | 14 February 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( I’m one of those people who doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. The idea of exchanging cards, a box of heart-shaped chocolates or going out on a romantic date night isn’t my idea of an expression of love. Don’t get me wrong − I do enjoy seeing others, young and old, celebrate their love. But that’s just the nature of this day – and of love itself: It can have different meanings and forms. Male poets in ninth century India, for example, expressed [extreme devotion and longing for the divine]( in female voices, as religious studies scholar at UC Davis Archana Venkatesan writes. And according to USC Dornsife’s David Albertson, for the Greeks, ‘eros’ – ‘yearning’ or ‘passionate desire’ – was [often a matter of life and death](, a danger to avoid. Indeed, a look at love poems from the Renaissance reminds us that love and Valentine’s Day [aren’t exclusively about romance](, as UMass Boston’s Shannon McHugh explains. Many Renaissance Italian poems were written for friends, parents, children and grandchildren; they could even be dedicated to Jesus and the saints. So, wherever you are on this special day – praying to the divine matchmaker, the [Old Man Under the Moon](, in China; or to the Rabbit God in Taiwan for blessing same-sex romance; or simply celebrating single life, here’s wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day. As poets, writers and philosophers remind us − love’s definition is expansive! Also this Valentine’s Day: - [The original cupid was no softie]( - [What words do you use for love?]( - [Don’t count on chatbots for love and companionship]( Kalpana Jain Senior Religion + Ethics Editor/ Director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative An image of a reclining Lord Vishnu with the alvar poets arrayed below him. The Nadar Press Ltd., Sivakasi, ca. 1920s. From the personal print collection of Archana Venkatesan and Layne Little [Love songs in Hindu devotion – the Tamil poets who took on the female voice to express their intense longing for the divine]( Archana Venkatesan, University of California, Davis In Hindu devotional poetry, love directed toward Vishnu can take many forms, including service, maternal adoration and the intense intimacy of lovers. The love story of Psyche and Eros − also known as Cupid − has survived since the days of Rome and Greece. Bettman via Getty Images [Love may be timeless, but the way we talk about it isn’t − the ancient Greeks’ ideas about desire challenge modern-day readers, lovers and even philosophers]( David Albertson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Conventional stereotypes about romance portray it as a passionate, irrational game. Ancient philosophers, on the other hand, viewed love as something dangerous − but also enlightening. Sonnets still have a reputation for being about the unrequited love of a man for a woman. AndreasPraefcke/Wikimedia Commons [Some of the Renaissance’s most romantic love poems weren’t for lovers]( Shannon McHugh, UMass Boston These moving poems are a reminder that on Valentine’s Day, it’s OK to celebrate a broader definition of love. [The divine matchmaker in Chinese mythology − Old Man Under the Moon − who helps couples find love]( Megan Bryson, University of Tennessee Young people in China are no longer settling into marriages arranged by their parents. But they are still looking for blessings from Chinese gods to find everlasting love. [Are you really in love? How expanding your love lexicon can change your relationships and how you see yourself]( Georgi Gardiner, University of Tennessee Words have power, and what vocabulary you have at your disposal to describe your relationships with other people can shape what directions those relationships can take. [Americans spend millions of dollars on Valentine’s Day roses. I calculated exactly how much]( Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University Coming to grips with the economics of roses can be a thorny issue. [AI ‘companions’ promise to combat loneliness, but history shows the dangers of one-way relationships]( Anna Mae Duane, University of Connecticut Tech companies are offering AI companions as a convenient cure for the loneliness epidemic, but there have been other forms of faux relationships, and they tend to have more to do with ego than heart. - [Don’t underestimate Cupid – he’s not the chubby cherub you associate with Valentine’s Day]( Debbie Felton, UMass Amherst Ancient Greece and Rome may have handed down the image of rosy-cheeked Cupids, but their myths about him explore the messier – sometimes scarier – sides of love. - [Why is a love poem full of sex in the Bible? Readers have been struggling with the Song of Songs for 2,000 years]( Jonathan Kaplan, The University of Texas at Austin The famous biblical book alludes to God only once. Historically, though, most interpreters have argued the poem’s about love between the divine and his people. - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](