love is blind short essay

Love is blind

“Love is blind” is a direct idiom, one that clearly refers to the way that love blinds the lover to certain truths.

“Love is blind” is a popular and well-known idiom that reaches back to at least the early 1400s, but likely earlier. The idiom is easy to understand and is capable of conveying a great deal when used in plays, poems, stories, and in everyday conversation .

Explore Love is blind

1 Meaning of “Love is blind”
2 When to Use “Love is blind”
3 Example Sentences With “Love is blind”
4 Why Do Writers Use “Love is blind”
5 Origins of “Love is blind”
6 Related Idioms

Meaning of “Love is blind”

“Love is blind” is a direct idiom, one that clearly refers to the way that love blinds the lover to certain truths. It is used to refer to the fact that men and women often lose sight of reality or the true nature of their beloved when they’re consumed by love. One might not see the cruel, untidy, or distasteful things that the person they love does because they are so caught up in the “loved” image of this person. The idiom can be used at any time, anywhere, to refer to any type of relationship that exhibits this factor.

When to Use “Love is blind”

The phrase “love is blind” is so commonly used that it can practically be used in any conversation with fellow English speakers. One will more likely find it around friends, family, and close colleagues, but due to its long use, it could also appear in more formal works.

One might use the phrase to remind a friend or family member that they aren’t seeing the truth of their lover’s actions, or one might hear it themselves as they pursue a relationship that’s clearly unhealthy.

The phrase is also used to quickly pass judgment on another’s relationship. By saying “love is blind” without knowing the details of how two people feel about one another is an easy way to dismiss the complexities of relationships.

Example Sentences With “Love is blind”

You know what they say, love is blind.
Have you seen Richard and Margie? I guess love really is blind.
Anna, you have to come to your senses. Love doesn’t have to be blind!
He is really proving that love is blind.
I wish they’d stop telling me that love is blind, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my relationship.

Why Do Writers Use “Love is blind”

Writers use the phrase “love is blind” in order to convey something commonly believed by broad swaths of the population—that love has the ability to blind those involved with one another’s truths. It is easy to use this phrase in conversations within plays, poems, short stories , novels , and novellas . It does not need an explanation, nor will there likely be any English speaker who comes upon it and is confused by what’s being said.

The words ‘love is blind” may evoke different experiences for different readers as well. To some, it might feel like a more romantic saying as if love transcends all boundaries. But to others, the phrase might feel disconcerting, as if someone is being tricked and their love is being taken advantage of.

Origins of “Love is blind”

Like most idioms , the exact origin of “love is blind” is unknown. Some have looked as far back as the writings of Plato for the exact course. He wrote, as translated by Benjamin Jowett, “The lover is blinded about the beloved, and prefers his own interests to truth and right” in 731. Plato condemns this kind of love, which is a kind of bonded friendship because if one loves another, they are untruth. Only loving themselves as friends are an extension of one’s own life.

“Love is blind” was first noted clearly in Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘ The M erchant’s Tale’ , a part of ‘The Canterbury Tales’ , published in 1405. It reads:

For loue is blynd alday and may nat see.

There is another good example of the phrase in use in William Shakespeare ’s Two Gentlemen of Verona. The lines are spoken by Speed read:

Because Love is blind. O, that you had mine eyes, or your own eyes had the lights they were wont to have when you chid at Sir Proteus for going ungartered!

Yet another example can be found in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. These lines are spoken by Jessica to Lorenzo:

For I am much ashamed of my exchange. But love is blind, and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit, For if they could Cupid himself would blush To see me thus transformèd to a boy.

In these examples, Shakespeare’s characters are using the idiom exactly as its used today, something that often changes over time. Read more of Shakespeare’s works .

Related Idioms

“ Pull yourself together .”
“ Benefit of the doubt .”
“ Comparing apples to oranges .”
“ A blessing in disguise .”
“ A dime a dozen .”
“ The best of both worlds .”

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love is blind

love is blind ( metaphor ) /lʌv ɪz blaɪnd/

if you love someone, you cannot see the faults in that person.
a person in love cannot see any imperfections in the person they love.
if you love someone, it does not matter what they look like or what their faults are.

Example Sentences

I really don’t understand why Mia likes Chris so much. He’s very selfish and inconsiderate; and doesn’t even treat her well. Well, love really is blind .
Everybody thought that Sam would not make a good match for Jill, but love is blind , and she was oblivious to all his bad habits.
Love is blind , and it was so true in his case. The girl he was dating was obviously two-timing him, but he was blissfully unaware of everything.
When you are in love, you tend to overlook the faults of the person you love as it is said that love is blind .
Love is blind , it is said, but it is not good to completely close your eyes to the faults of the person you love.

Origin and History

The phrase “love is blind” has a rich and multifaceted history, drawing from literature, ancient philosophy, and modern research. Here’s a comprehensive look at its origins and how it has evolved over time .

Ancient Roots

The concept that love can impair judgment has ancient origins. It can be traced back to the writings of the Greek philosopher Plato. In his work ‘The Symposium,’ Plato describes the god of love, Eros, as being blind, symbolizing that love is irrational and beyond the control of reason or logic.

Geoffrey Chaucer

The earliest recorded use of the phrase in English literature is found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Merchant’s Tale,’ part of his larger work, ‘The Canterbury Tales,’ written around 1405. Chaucer wrote:

“For loue is blynd alday and may nat see,”

It emphasizes the idea that love can obscure one’s perception of reality.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare further popularized the phrase in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He used it in several of his plays, including ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ where Jessica states:

“But love is blind , and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit.”

Shakespeare’s frequent use of the phrase helped establish it in the English language and culture.

Modern Interpretations and Research

In contemporary times, the phrase is commonly used to describe the tendency of people in love to overlook their partner’s flaws. Modern research supports this idea: a 2004 study by University College London found that feelings of love suppress activity in areas of the brain responsible for critical thinking and judgment.

Thus, scientific research now supports the phrase “love is blind,” which has evolved from ancient philosophical thought to become a staple of English literature. It encapsulates the timeless human experience of how love can alter perception and judgment, making it a phrase that resonates across ages and cultures.

love conquers all
love makes the world go round

Share your opinions 10 Opinions

Love is not blind; it chooses what it wants to see or ignore, similar to how Jesus Christ forgives when you repent.

‒ Fred Vega March 18, 2022

I love Shila Kay. I do. (Veda too!) I’m astonished, dumbfounded and amazed all anew every time our eyes meet.♥️

‒ David December 10, 2021

Love is blind – not blind that u can’t see their flaws and faults but because you love them so much that you intend to ignore it and hoping for them to change in time.

‒ Kristine June 19, 2021

Love may be blind. Normally this condition is mostly attributed to the young-at-heart . It might even be described as “foolish love” by third parties. However because this human emotion is so deep, so unconditional, the “blindness” can be detrimental to the beholder. On the positive side, it will be a blessing as it moves one’s resultant sentiment to become tolerant and forgiving of fellow humans and of Creation itself. True love emcompasses all dark dispositions. Love lights up your life!

‒ Joseph Perera May 11, 2021

Only little pieces of what each of you said are true, which when put together reveals the majority of the picture but not the full version and the most important part, that few are afraid to admit because to do so makes them have the depth of a kiddie pool…love is not 100% blind because of people who put value in what they see with their eyes and put to much importance on physical features…it’s a funny dichotomy

‒ Anonymous December 16, 2020

Love is blind but marriage restored my vision.

‒ Marianne Jacob December 8, 2020

This is so powerful and it has helped me to realize the Love God has for us, no wonder He was so lost in love He died for us.

I’m blessed

‒ Anonymous October 9, 2020

I believe it when they say love is blind, because it makes people forget there selves in the process they get provoked to do things they never thought they can do all because of love.

‒ Mutale September 19, 2020

Love is as blind as we see and allow it. It’s always best to communicate with your partner and smooth out any uncertainties which may be kept inside us, only to explode in anger once stirred. Love is also said to be unconditional but it’s really with conditions , undeniably. Love is the greatest human emotion , partially blind and partially conditional.

‒ Joel August 30, 2020

Yes it is said that love is blind and I fully believe that but if you are like many people in this day and age in our society it can also be said that we are often blinded and can’t even see that the person who we love and feel like they don’t love us in all reality actually does love us . So sad but true that a person today is to blind to realize that their partner actually does love them and after all the jealousy and accusations argument after argument later on down the road they shamefully and regrettingly realize that they did love them after all but because of their blindness to let love in they missed it !

‒ April Grammer August 9, 2020

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Book Report — Unpacking the Complexity of ‘Love is Blind’ Through Multiple Lenses

Unpacking The Complexity of 'Love is Blind' Through Multiple Lenses

Categories: Book Report Book Review

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Published: Jun 6, 2024

Words: 816 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Psychological perspectives on love and perception, empirical evidence and real-world implications, sociocultural influences and counterarguments.

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‘Love is blind’ – Origin, Meaning, and Significance of the Proverb

Origin of the proverb.

The proverb ‘love is blind’ was first found in written form in the medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer’s work ‘The Canterbury Tales’, which was composed in the late 14th century. In one of the Tales, known as ‘The Merchant’s Tale’, the narrator states ‘love is blind’. Other famous writers have also used this phrase, including William Shakespeare two centuries later in his play ‘The Merchant of Venice’.

However, it is likely that this proverb was in existence in oral culture long before Chaucer wrote it down. This is because the trope of blind love was very prevalent in classical Greek and Roman art and sculpture. Cupid was often depicted wearing a blindfold in these ancient art forms and it is probable that this is where the notion of blind love arose from.

Meaning of the proverb.

This proverb is most usually taken to mean that true love is not dependent on physical attributes. It does not matter what a loved one looks like on the outside: it is what they are like on the inside (their character) that is most important.

Sometimes, the proverb is used in a slightly humorous way, when people want to comment on a romantic couple, one of whom is (in their opinion) more physically attractive than the other.

The notion of ‘blindness’ in this proverb can, however, also be taken to refer more abstractly to being blind to a loved one’s faults. In this case, the proverb is not used to refer to lovers being blind to one another’s physical appearance but rather to the way in which lovers do not see or do not dwell upon, the flaws in each other’s characters.

Yet another interpretation of the proverb is also in existence. In classical mythology, Cupid was often depicted wearing a blindfold and shooting arrows at lovers. Whoever was hit by one of Cupid’s arrows would fall in love. But, because Cupid was firing his arrows whilst blindfolded, people would fall in love at random. So here, the proverb is being used to express the idea that love is something unexpected and random, controlled by fate in a way that we cannot always understand.

There are, then, several ways of interpreting this proverb and it is useful to summarize them. Thus, ‘love is blind’ can mean any of the below:

Lovers do not care so much about each other’s looks as about each others’ characters. Lovers do not see – or choose not to focus on – each others’ faults. Love is something that seems to happen at random. Relevance/Significance of this proverb.h2>

The relevance/significance of the proverb ‘Love is blind’ is discussed below:

1. True love is not superficial: The proverb encapsulates the idea that true love is not just about how someone looks, but it is about who they are right at the core of their being. Of course, people who are in love tend to find each other very attractive, but they also have something more significant than that: a love of each others’ personalities, thoughts, beliefs and so on.

2. Reminding us not to find fault with each other: In a more abstract sense, the proverb reminds people who are in love with each other that they should not dwell on perceived flaws in each others’ characters. They should, in a positive sense, make themselves ‘blind’ to those minor faults and celebrate the good in each other instead.

3. Destiny: The notion of a blind god of love shooting arrows at random gestures towards the way in which love is something mysterious. Many people believe that love is all about destiny and fate, and the idea that there is a god of love making people fall in love is a neat way of expressing this – even if people do not actually believe in the physical existence of Cupid!

4. Being non judgemental: This proverb reminds us not to be judgemental of each other, because real love is not dependent on how rich, able bodied and so on people are. Real love is unconditional.

5. Bringing people together: When we ignore the superficial differences between ourselves and others, we can love other people for who they truly are.

6. Understanding love between people who seem different: Some couples consist of people of very different ages, or different races or social classes. When we remember the proverb that ‘love is blind’ we remember that lovers do not let these things divide them – rather, they love and celebrate all aspects of each other.

7. The mystery of love: For many people, one of the reasons that love is so powerful and precious is because it is mysterious. We cannot see where it comes from or why it brings us into someone else’s life. The proverb ‘love is blind’ perfectly expresses this mysterious, unknowable element to love and helps us to remember that though we cannot always explain love, it can affect us very powerfully.

Conclusion.

This is a proverb that has been in use for many centuries, and it is easy to see why. The idea that ‘love is blind’ captures so many things about love: the way that it helps us to move beyond individual differences, the way that it is about being non judgemental, and the way that love is about loving someone’s character on a deep level rather than mere outward appearances. In addition, this proverb captures the mysteriousness of love.

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Can One Really Define Love? Essay

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What is love? It seems to be as baffling as the question “What is the meaning of life?” Liking and attraction seem to be of lesser degree when compared to love yet attraction is also closely associated with friendship. These are three concepts that mean lot of things to different people.

When it comes to love, one will encounter countless lines that attempt to define it. We all have heard that love is blind. Love is what makes the world go round. Love is all there is. Novels, poems, short stories and songs, all kinds of literature have immortalized love. Why? Plato said it right: At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet. Since the beginning of time, love has been there to propel people who fall in it to do crazy – or at least extraordinary things. Those who stumble into it go into a trance, seeing everything or everyone who stands against it as a threat to their happiness.

The dictionary says that love is the passionate devotion to another being but its essence must not be entirely confined to its lexical meaning. The New Testament alone exemplifies three types of love. The romantic, sexual love or eros , the love of friendship or phileo , and the unconditional love of the Divine or agape . While the first two may come easily for most people, agape does not because it is the unconditional love that is usually ascribed to the Divine. (Boyer, 1999).

Some hold that love is nothing but a physical response to another whom the agent feels physically attracted to. Physical determinists for example, consider love to be an extension of the chemical-biological constituents of the human creature and is explicable according to such processes. Others who consider love to be an aesthetic response hold that love is knowable through the emotional and conscious feeling that it provokes and it cannot be captured in rational or descriptive language but by metaphor or by music. The spiritualist vision of love incorporates mystical as well as traditional romantic notions of love, but rejects the behaviorist or physical determinist’s explanations. (Moseley, 2001).

Love may be defined in any way imaginable to man and may differ from one person to another. Hence, although each of us has his own way of looking at love, it can’t nevertheless be denied that love is universal and everyone, anywhere can feel it.

Levels of physical attractiveness can influence people in so many powerful ways. A person’s characteristics based on an individual’s perception of physical attractiveness can either add to one’s status or stigmatize them. Males and females have different cognitive schemas about the attractiveness of the opposite sex. This is because one’s gender determines the how the person will view their own attractiveness and how that person will view another one’s physical attractiveness.

There are several theories that apply to physical attraction and one of this is the reinforcement theory. This means that when a person is paired with a stimulus that elicits a positive effect or reward, the result is increased liking of that person. One can begin to like a physically attractive person because he is pleasing to look at which is your own personal reward. Meanwhile, the attractive person also gets the benefits of being attractive because once a positive reward is associated with an individual; your liking of them will increase.

There are actually three factors that influence attraction. One of this is proximity. It seems that people tend to like those that are closer to them By this we mean, of greater proximity rather than those far from them. This is because if people are close to each other, they often see each other. Perhaps because they are able to nurture relationships with each other. It is difficult for people to cultivate relationships when they are far apart. (Social Psychology, Interpersonal Relations).

One other factor is physical attractiveness. According to Robert B Cialdini, an influential psychologist, physical attractiveness is an important component in degree of influence. He stipulates that physically attractive people have a huge social advantage in our culture. They are better liked, more persuasive, more frequently helped, and seen as possessing better personality traits and intellectual capabilities (Cialdini 1984). This is what some experts call the halo effect. This happens when positive characteristics of a person, spell the way a person is viewed by others (Henricks, Chris, et. al, 1998). There is the notion that people who are above average in physical attractiveness is also above average in other aspects as well.

Sometimes this can be a disadvantage too. The physically attractive people may think that things are being done for them just because they look good rather than their innate attributes. (Social Psychology, Interpersonal Relations).The third factor in attraction is similarity. People who are similar in tastes and likes tend to attract each other. When they find that they have a lot of commonalities, they tend to go together. It is like the saying that says, “birds of the same feather, flock together.”

People are interested in establishing relationships with others who are similar to themselves. In this connection, if the goal of attraction is partnership, and apart of this partnership is sharing life with someone else, then it is wise to choose a partner with similar background and interests. The person who is similar with another one in terms of interests, then, there would be less problems since there is a meeting of minds. They will want to do the same activities and share the same hobbies as you do. (Social Psychology, Interpersonal Relations).

One way to get someone to like you is to like them. This action is called a reciprocity norm. This means that whatever is done to you should be done in return. The value of indebtedness comes into play here. When someone does something for us, often we feel indebted to that person, so the action is often reciprocated. Many great thinkers today find that whatever good feelings you give to others will return back to you. In the context of the reciprocity norm, it means that the way to get someone to like us is to like them first. What you give will come back to you a hundredfold.

Sternberg has a theory of love, which involves 3 dimensions: passion, intimacy, and commitment. He suggests that the combination of these dimensions can be used to classify different types of love or mutually good feelings. So, Sternberg is suggesting that not all loving relationships are created equal. I might suggest that true love – the love that creates a special and precious relationship between two people – is one that would have all 3 of Sternberg’s dimensions (Social Psychology, Interpersonal Relations).

Love in its many forms is a way of bringing joy into our lives, and we all treasure the moments of love that we know and have known. Loving is a way of giving, both to the person receiving and the one giving. Through loving, a person becomes closer to himself as he shares himself to another one and opens the way for sharing. The meaning of love is limitless because love is relative from person to person. How one would see it would be different from how another would. Love teaches us in different ways. It remains a mystery, a puzzle that must be left to work out on its own – or better yet, just left to retain its mystique.

Works Cited

Boyer, Janet. “What Is Love?” 1999. Web.

Moseley, Alex. “Philosophy of Love”. From The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2001. Web.

“Social Psychology, Interpersonal Relations,” 2008. Web.

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Relationships

Why Are We Blinded by Love?

Here's what psychoanalysts say is the answer..

Posted May 15, 2023 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

Why Relationships Matter
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The notion that love is blind has been around a long time.
People often pick partners who subconsciously remind them of their early caregivers.
This can sometimes result in the repetition of unhealthy behavior patterns, but they can be broken.

What Is Love Blindness?

Love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit — William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Love is blind. The now commonplace phrase is often attributed to Shakespeare, who explored the concept in several of his plays. But if Shakespeare gave the concept so much of its rich meaning, he wasn’t the first to introduce it. Chaucer had already coined the phrase in the 14th century, and the idea was depicted in images well before that, in representations of Cupid wearing a blindfold. Arguably, then, the notion that “love is blind” has been around longer than our modern English, possibly as long as there was language to reflect on what it means to fall in love.

In our contemporary post- Freudian world, where the notion of an unconscious gives us new tools to understand our lack of awareness, the phenomenon of love blindness still seems to plague us and vex us just as much as ever. Popular literature offers up numerous stories where the mystery centers around the hidden—and often monstrous—true identity of a loved one. In fact, an entire thriving genre, the domestic thriller, could be said to stem from the universal fear of, and fascination with, misjudging those we love.

Meanwhile, in our personal lives, most of us experience instances of wildly misjudging our romantic interests. In fact, the very term “to fall in love” suggests our lack of balance and sense of disorientation at such times, and not even the best attempts by our market culture to rationalize choice (dating apps, etc.) can keep us from picking partners that end up feeling like big mistakes. Is there anyone who hasn’t kicked the door closed on a lover with the thought: What the hell was I thinking?

Are we thinking when we fall for someone? And if not, then what gets in the way? What does psychoanalytic theory have to teach us on the subject?

Freud’s Foundational Theories on Love

Though later theorists have much to add, Freud laid the foundation for most of our enduring ideas about romantic choice. Freud had very specific reasons for believing that we can never see romantic matters clearly since, according to his theory, love operates under disguise, and the task of choosing a love object is led by the unconscious.

So what is the nature of this driving unconscious force? For Freud, all passionate love is an attempt to retrieve that first love between a baby and its caretaker. “There are… good reasons why a child sucking at the mother’s breast has become the prototype of every relation of love. The finding of an object is, in fact, a refinding of it.” [1]

Since anxiety around the incest taboo prevents us from choosing a parent or obvious parent stand-in for our lover, we must disguise the resemblance. The real attraction to our romantic choice is therefore repressed or out of view—so that we can never truly know what we love about the person when we love them. Add to this befuddlement the fact that we tend to idealize our romantic partners, just as we idealized our parents in early development. For Freud, new lovers desire to experience their romantic objects as perfect, something that also gratifies our own narcissism —someone so wonderful loves me!—increasing our euphoria and unwillingness to let a more sober view of our beloved take shape. [2]

Post-Freudian Thinkers on Love: The Object Relations School and Ronald Fairbairn

Much of Freud’s view has infiltrated popular understanding. Today, it’s hardly shocking when partners complain— You’re just like my father or mother! But questions remain: What makes one unconscious resemblance the glue that happily binds, while others lead to torturous attachments?

Scottish psychoanalyst Ronald Fairbairn, a prominent figure in the development of object relations theory, offered a framework for understanding what’s going on when painful aspects of a primary (parental) relationship get repeated in adult romantic choice. Fairbairn emphasized the critical significance of maintaining attachment to caregivers, no matter how cruel or abandoning the caretaker proves to be.

According to Fairbairn, when faced with an abusive caregiver , a child will do anything to protect the caregiver’s image as good, including disavowing awareness of his or her flaws. The child thus takes the only available alternative step: to locate the badness in herself ( If I’m being yelled at and beaten, then I must deserve it). To quote Fairbairn’s most famous statement:

“It is better to be a sinner in a world ruled by God than to live in a world ruled by the devil.” [3]

Given this set-up, when such a child grows up to seek a romantic partner and inevitably (as established by Freud) finds one with a resemblance to the original caregiver, they will be blind to the lover’s flaws and even compelled to adhere to playing out old, familiar patterns: suffering mistreatment and blaming themselves for it. In short, Fairbairn explains the confounding behavior of people who find themselves with abusive partners and who remain blind (or partly blind) to the abuse.

Recent Psychoanalytic Elaborations on Love and Distorted Seeing

More contemporary psychoanalysts (relational/interpersonal and attachment-based therapists) have developed further tools to help us understand how it is we can both know—yet fail to recognize—the faults in our romantic objects. Many have traded in the language of repression for one of dissociation, choosing a model of mind in which we have different parts of us, or self-states, that come in and out of awareness. According to Philip Bromberg, the analyst best associated with the self-state model, in cases of violence, for instance, where it’s impossible to hold the idea of the loving partner in conjunction with their cruel or frightening behavior, the mind acts to preserve the attachment by denying conscious access to the threatening experience. [4] To put it bluntly, we can literally fail to process—to think and remember—the hurt our loved ones cause us.

So then, if Bromberg and others are right, and our minds are so armored to blind us to the faults in our loved ones, are we all doomed to stumble through romantic misadventures?

A Way Out of the Darkness

Despite the challenges of dealing with love blindness, psychodynamic therapy offers hope. For people continually drawn to destructive partners, the solution is to become aware, with the help of a sensitive analyst, of early patterns with caregivers and of how they repeat in current relationships. As Fairbairn and Bromberg suggest, distorted seeing will be far more prevalent in those whose primary attachments were problematic and involved dissociating negative experiences. Treatment therefore includes becoming attuned to feelings and fantasies excluded from awareness, and facing the pain and disappointment around how our caregivers—present and past—have failed to love us as we needed.

In the end, to see clearly in love, we must stop seeking to revive and repair our early attachments and shift from the wishful romantic mode to a more tragic one, where greater acceptance of reality grants us the power to alter our romantic destinies, but also lands us in the mature territory of ambivalence and grief .

To learn to love without illusion—or with not too much of it—is also to grieve. We must let go of the fantasy that we can achieve the perfect wished-for love we never had, and only then can there be hope for new experiences, where to love is to be able to see and know the other, truly, by first seeing and knowing oneself.

[1] Freud, S (1905) Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905). The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume VII (1901-1905) p 222

[2] Bergmann, M (1987) The Anatomy of Loving, New York: Columbia University Press , p 159

[3] Fairbairn, R.W. (1943) The Repression and Return of Bad Objects, New York and London: Routledge p 66

[4] Bromberg (1994), ”Speak! that I may see you”: Some reflections on dissociation, reality, and psychoanalytic listening. In: Standing in the Spaces: Essays on Clinical Process, Trauma and Dissociation. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press, 1998

Robin Kirman holds degrees from Yale and Columbia Universities and the National Institute for the Psychotherapies, where she is currently on the faculty. She’s the author of two novels, Bradstreet Gate (Crown, 2015) and The End of Getting Lost (Simon and Schuster, 2022).

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New Times, New Thinking.

William Boyd’s Love is Blind: the story of a sweet-natured outsider told at a cracking pace

Boyd’s career consists of an endless flow of stories in the great realist tradition, with strong plots, well-rounded characters, and written in a language that anyone can understand.

By Ian Sansom

Among the literary big beasts who emerged in the 1980s – you know who I mean – William Boyd remains perhaps the most difficult to categorise. The early novels A Good Man in Africa (1981) and An Ice Cream War (1982) are distinctly Graham Greeneish. Nat Tate: An American Artist 1928-1960 (1998) was, famously, a novel masquerading as a biography, and in 2013 Boyd published Solo , a James Bond novel that out-Fleminged Ian Fleming. There have been plenty of other novels, collections of short stories, film scripts, essays, reviews and an autobiography that is hard to come by but well worth seeking out, Protobiography (1998).

The essential shape and nature of Boydism, if it might described as such, is fluid – the actual artefacts, as it were, are unimportant. His career consists of an endless flow of stories in the great realist tradition, with strong plots, well-rounded characters, and written in a language that anyone can understand.

He’s one of those rare writers that you might read, your mum might read, your nan might read, and your brother – with whom you have nothing else in common, because he spends most of his time on his games console, trading in Bitcoin or watching the History Channel – might read, and you can all share your enthusiasm. Boyd’s work is proof of that hoary old Jane Austen definition of the novel in Northanger Abbey as a “work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour are conveyed to the world”.

As with much of his work, Boyd’s new novel Love is Blind tells the story of an energetic and sweet-natured outsider attempting to make his way in life: the obvious comparison is with Dickens, but Boyd’s tenor and tone is all Chekhov (he’s adapted Chekhov for the stage and written brilliantly about the Russian’s art of the short story).

In 1894, Brodie Moncur, a talented musician and piano tuner, leaves Scotland to work in Paris, where he becomes drawn into the circle of a famous Irish pianist, John Kilbarron, a vile, bullying egotist who, when he’s not wowing the crowds with his Liszt, is self-medicating with drink and drugs. When Brodie begins a secret affair with Kilbarron’s lover, the Russian soprano Lika Blum, melodrama inevitably ensues, with Brodie and Lika eventually finding themselves travelling across Europe, pursued by Malachi Kilbarron, John’s vengeful brother.

The Saturday Read

Morning call.

The book begins and continues at a cracking pace – or perhaps a cinematic stride – with scenes, scenarios, set-pieces and minor characters aplenty, all of which and all of whom might easily detain another writer for an entire book.

There is Senga, for example, the squinty-eyed Scottish prostitute (“She was called Agnes McCloud but she didn’t like the name Agnes and so had simply reversed it”). There is Brodie’s father, the diabolical Reverend Malcolm “Malky” Moncur, a violent alcoholic who typically greets his son, “How’s my wee mulatto?” And there’s the mysterious Lady Dalcastle, a kind of Miss Havisham in waiting. James – Shem – and Stanislaus Joyce even make a late, decisive appearance when Brodie finds himself washed up in Trieste, lost, alone and tuning pianos for small change. “The world’s your lobster,” Joyce encourages Brodie, “spread your wings […] take a leap.”

Brodie’s improbable final leap takes him to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he ends up working for an eccentric Margaret Mead-like anthropologist who is studying the sexual lives of the locals (Boyd has always been interested in writing about sex and its peculiar mechanics).

Paris, Edinburgh, Nice, Biarritz, St Petersburg, Trieste – the places and the details are all tourist-brochure magnificent and lush, so much so that one occasionally wonders why there is so much effort being expended on, say, the description of some hotel in Dubechnia (it is in fact a little nod to Chekhov).

By the end of the book, one feels rather that one might almost become a piano tuner, having read so much about piano tuning. “The piano was perfectly tuned – he had tuned it himself when it had emerged pristine, from the factory two weeks ago. He tuned F a modicum on the sharp side then knocked it in – back into tune – with a few brisk taps on the key. He supported a hammer-head and needled-up the felt a little with his three-pronged voicing tool and returned it to its position.”

But every detail counts, with Boyd brilliantly exploiting and adhering to the relentless logic of the Chekhovian rifle on the wall: all of the objects, all of the places, all of the people ultimately serve the story. He makes it look easy: he’s a pro.

Ian Sansom is the author of the Mobile Library Mystery Series, published by 4th Estate

Love Is Blind William Boyd Viking, 384pp, £18.99

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Relationships

Why is love blind?

9 Keys to passion & intimacy

Love: It’s one of the few things in life that can create intense pleasure or intense pain in our lives. It’s the one force that has the power to put you on top of the clouds or in a deep, dark hole. Yet, no matter how much experience we gain in love, it seems like we’re all still figuring it out as we go.

Is love blind?

As neuroscientist and best-selling author Abhijit Naskar once said, “The brain becomes illogical in the throes of new romance.” Something that makes it hard to figure out how to build healthy expectations and a sustainable connection is that in the beginning, love is blind. When you are in the midst of deep love, when the world is filled with rainbows and butterflies, everything your partner does is right. This is where the term “love is blind” comes from. You are so “blinded” by love that you cannot see any of your lover’s flaws.

Why is love blind? Why do we feel this way? Why do we act as though our partner doesn’t have any perceivable flaws or shortcomings? Because in the beginning, we are loving from our hearts, not our heads.

When you first get together with a romantic partner, it’s easy to block out any red flags or character flaws. You’re in the lusting phase of your relationship. In this heightened state of attraction, we tend to give our partners more leeway. There’s more space for them to make mistakes because the rules we have created within the relationships are different, and we have fewer of them. And in many cases, you don’t have any rules — you’re just thrilled to be in the same room with them. You feel lucky to have the opportunity to make them happy. No matter what they do or what they say, you are infatuated with the idea of them.

Why love is blind

When you’re at the beginning of your relationship, you’re fully loving from the heart, instead of the head. You’re throwing caution to the wind and fully embracing this feeling of love and infatuation. This is why love is blind. When someone is loving from the heart, their thought process sounds like this:

“What would make my partner happy? What would turn them on? I am going to go to the ends of the earth to find out – and I’m going to have fun doing it. I’m going to have fun learning about them and enjoy exploring all kinds of things together. I’m going to feel alive, I’m going to make this relationship perfect.”

This experience happens to many of us. That’s why there are so many love is blind quotes and stories about this exact topic – it is incredibly relatable. At some point in our lives, almost all of us will meet someone who sweeps us off of our feet.. We will want to do everything in our power to keep the relationship going, regardless of the price on our mental or emotional health.

Where are the doubts? Where are the rules? If relationships were truly this easy, then every person on the planet would be in a happy union.

Where is the measuring of how much you are doing for your partner? How much are they doing for you? That’s right — it’s not there. When you are loving from your heart, in the “blind” stage, you don’t think about how much you are giving, and you don’t create ideals of how your partner doesn’t match up to the perfect partner in your mind.

So what brings that stage to an end? Why do we stop loving from the heart? When is love no longer blind?

Loving with your head

Rabbi Julius Gordon said, “Love is not blind. It sees more and not less, but because it sees more, it is willing to see less.” Once your head takes over, you start to become more aware of the traits you ignored in the beginning of your relationship. You start to use logic more as you fall out of the honeymoon stage. Logic is a valuable intellectual trait but it can also be destructive, especially in relationships.

Here is the train of thought of someone who is in their head, instead of fully loving with their heart:

The answer is: Your head takes over. Logic is a valuable intellectual trait, but in the realm of relationships, it can be destructive. Here is the train of thought of someone who is in their head, instead of fully loving with their heart:

“I wonder what they’re going to do for me for my birthday. I planned such a great day for their birthday, and they loved it. But they haven’t even mentioned my birthday yet this year. What if they forget completely? Like they forgot to congratulate me when I got that promotion. Or like how they forget even the little things, like the fact that I don’t like ginger. How can I have a partner who doesn’t know I don’t like ginger?!”

At this point, the rules that you’ve made up in your head about how a partner will behave, what your relationship will be like and what you deserve have completely overtaken all of the positive emotions you had before when your love was still blind. Things our partner does are no longer thrilling. Their flaws are no longer “cute.” Instead, their flaws become annoying when love is no longer blind.

When we start to let the little things stack up, we begin feeling resentment or built-up tension toward our partners. We start to punish our partners for their flaws. That can escalate into a series of rejections that become toxic or abrasive – and ultimately simmers into a general feeling of repression, or learned helplessness, where you lower your expectations so much that you no longer feel any needs being met in the relationship. When this happens, you turn to other outlets for your love and attention, like your work, children, friend group or hobbies.

Sounds terrible, right? The good news is that you can learn the five disciplines of love and learn how to maintain a feeling of attraction to your partner through the power of polarity.

As Tony says, when you’re in attraction, love is easy. Love is blind. When you’re not attracted, you get in your head. You leave your heart and your body and you go to your head.

To get a deep dive into polarization and what it means for your relationship, consider attending Tony’s marquee event, Date With Destiny . You can also gain clarity on how to build a passionate and strong relationship with Tony’s Ultimate Relationship Program . If your relationship matters to you, it’s not too late to save it. Love may be blind early on in new relationships, but with the proper insights and principles, you can find a way to clearly see and appreciate your partner as time goes on.

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How to rekindle a relationship

Have you ever started or stoked a fire? If so, you know that you have to use kindling. You also know that the smallest spark can eventually become a roaring blaze. Once the fire has reached its full potential, you maintain it and it stays strong – or you neglect it and it dies out. […]

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Pointless arguing in a relationship: Many people do it but most of us don’t understand it and are perplexed by it. Everyone knows a couple who constantly bickers or has conflict – maybe that’s even you and your partner. Maybe you argue so frequently that it’s become the norm. Is this really what to expect […]

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How to keep a relationship alive

“Long distance never works.” “The seven-year itch is real.” “Children always kill romance.” “You can’t have love and a successful career. You have to choose.” Chances are you’ve heard at least one of these statements, or a variation on the theme, from someone you know. One of the most common myths about long-term relationships is […]

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Love Is Blind Essay Example

Pages: 4 (1012 words)
Published: November 28, 2017
Type: Paper

Do you remember your first kiss? Did you keep your eyes open or closed? I bet you closed your eyes. Isn’t this the essence of “love is blind? ” You kiss them without fear, and without any sense of danger. You do not have to see the one you love to know you love them. You accept love on blind faith.

Love is blind and for a moment we use this phrase to justify the obvious flaws we do not recognize in the people. Lovers are oblivious to the truth and therefore unable to be clear-sighted. My perspective is that we are blinded by love and we act carelessly without assessing any of our actions, thus we have regret for any mistakes later on.My latest experience where love is blind has to do with a friend that I know for a little

over six months now, but I could say that I can feel her profound misery every time she spills her disappointment on her love matter with her long-distance boyfriend. He had to relocate to china because he received well-paid career there.

Sharon would spend hours talking to him online and via phone even in the early hour of morning. They have experienced love even before they have seen each other in person; it was about a year ago when they have met online and developed an exigent relationship.She would always cry all day and night because of a terrible fight. She attacks me with complaints every single day uttering in hatred of how selfish he is. I would ask her, “if that is the situation, why are you still with him”; and sh

would mumble “I love him. ” On the tenth months of their relationship, they have decided to finally meet each other.

She flew to Singapore to meet him there. They spent about a week together and that one week is the happiest and the sweetest moment of her life as she described. The day they have parted, she gave him her gold necklace as a sign of her love and devotion for him.After their personal meeting and a very memorable week, I have hoped that somehow their relationship will be better. Much to my surprise, it have gotten worse than I could ever imagined.

Sharon is still in tears and one day she told me that they had a very huge fight. I remember, she once told me that before leaving China, just by the airport when she were about to take off. He told her “I have to tell you something really important that you deserve to know. ” Sharon was confused by his statement. After a year of having a rollercoaster and bittersweet relationship, it has turns out that he is married.He got married at an age of 22 to a girl whom was matched to him by his parents.

He decided to go to China for a job but the truth is he went there to fulfill his duty as a husband. He respects his marriage and does not tolerate to divorce. Indeed it is a heartbreaking new to Sharon. Days and nights she cried until her eyes dry out and her heart mourns for him. Each day, he calls Sharon and wants her forgiveness.

He says he missed her and wants

to spend the rest of his life with her. Sharon says she needs time to assess things. I spoke to her a month ago and she still does not know what to do.She is not angry at him or does not even feel betrayed of what he has done, rather, she is worried that her parents might come to know about it and they will force her to marry someone else. Sharon claims that he is the love of her life and does not mind that he is married. Therefore, love is blind because Sharon refuses to see the truth and only see what she wants to see.

She would rather endure the pain of hurting her selves, patiently cry, and accept what is there than opening her eyes into reality. People always question why women are beat today by boyfriends, parents, husbands, or even kids without assessing any action.People also wonder why they ended up loving that person, or how? Well it all boils down to one simple solution that is love is blind. “Love is blind it’ll take over your mind. What you think is love it’s truly not you need to elevate and find,” Spoken by the famous artist EVE. When I think of love is blind this lyric always pops into my head.

The music video is called “love is blind” by a famous artist named Eve. Eve dedicated this song to her best friend who lost her life from an abusive relationship. For those who have not yet seen the music video to this song, I strongly recommend seeing!After watching the video, you will tend to realize and understand there

certain situation that love is blind. The song is about a couple living together in a house; the woman (victim) loves this man who is physically abused her. In a drunken state or bad mood, he would beat her severely without a reason. Everyday she suffered verbal and emotional abuse by her boyfriend but yet she takes no action in correcting.

In the song, Eve was trying to save her from her abusive boyfriend, but she was blinded by love and refused to take her advice.At the end of the song, her best friend died because she was severely beaten by her boyfriend. Therefore, love makes people ignorant to reality and lose sight of their self-confidence and self-respect. Love has caused many people all over the world to be blind.

From having an affair with a married man to neglecting physical and emotional abuse from a loved one, love has shielded many people from making good judgments and decisions. In the end, love is a powerful emotion that can fool us all whether we are aware of it or not.

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Short Paragraph on ‘Love is blind’

This proverb, ‘love is blind’, adequately captures how many romantic relationships function. It also emphasizes the power of chance in our romantic lives.

Lovers are metaphorically blind to their beloved’s faults. Similarly, that they are metaphorically blind to each other’s physical appearances, caring only about each other’s souls.

If someone cannot see what another person looks like, they will not be swayed by their appearance. So, this proverb is essentially about the deceptiveness of appearances.

Lovers do not just attract on a physical level, they can also be soulmates. This is an anti-materialist proverb. We all have inner beauty, not just outward beauty. We do not love someone because of how they look or how rich they are.

Conclusion: Trying to look for other people’s inner beauty is always a great idea.

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Love Letter: Learning to Love While Blind

Plus: Bonding over words and horses.

By Charanna Alexander

[ Sign up here to receive Love Letter, a weekly newsletter about relationship highs, lows and woes, in your inbox every Friday. ]

Dating is hard no matter what. In this week’s Modern Love essay , writer M. Leona Godin, who has been progressively losing her sight since the age of 10, shares how her blindness often spurs feelings of insecurity in her relationship.

In this week’s Vows column , the writer T Kira Madden finds forever with Hannah Beresford, a former professional equestrian and a poet. The couple, who married earlier this month in Kaneohe, Hawaii, first bonded over horses and later solidified their connection after swapping books they wrote.

Sometimes you have relationship questions that you just don’t want to ask your friends. We’re here to help. Email your relationship questions to our inbox and we’ll answer them right here in Love Letter.

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Email your relationship questions to our inbox and we will answer a reader’s love-related question each week, right here in the Love Letter newsletter. Spoiler alert: We are not licensed professionals, but we understand that love is complicated and we’re here to help provide support, thoughtful advice and resources. Please be sure to include your name, city (town) and state, along with your question.

We want to hear from you.

We want to deliver content that truly matters to you and your feedback is helpful. Email your thoughts to [email protected] .

Also, here’s how to submit a Modern Love essay or how to be featured in an Unhitched column . Don’t feel like writing more than a tweet, an Instagram caption or a Facebook post? Consider submitting to Tiny Love Stories , which are no more than 100 words. Getting married? Here’s how to submit a wedding announcement.

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Here we talk about all things having to do with love! Romantic, familial, platonic, what have you, all forms of love are welcome to be talked about here!

AN ESSAY FROM A HALF-BLIND MAN

There is a famous phrase saying that love is blind, and rightfully so. There have been many attempts to define what love is, yet every new definition seems to further blur the lenses at which we perceive love, causing more ambiguity than clarity.

Love encompasses all things, it is the only thing one needs, it is all there is – these are common expressions used by people to define love. However, these are only but comparisons and measurements based on an arbitrary metric, making it unable to truly detail what love is. Others would consider love as a magical emotion that motivates us to be the best persons we can be. But emotions are fluid and spontaneous, using it as a definition makes it inconsistent and inefficient. Finally, some would say that it is biology’s trick to preserve life on earth through reproduction. Then again, it fails to consider people who are unable to bear children yet still choose to love and care for people.

There are more attempts to encapsulate the meaning of love, but, ultimately, love still remains a mystery. This uncertainty causes one to question: Should I pursue love?. The consequential blindness produced if one chooses to participate in search of love leaves a person dubious and hesitant.

However, grief and despair caused by this chaotic world may induce one to enter this search in hopes of finding meaning and purpose. The proclivity of an individual to justify the pain of existence and make sense of the world calls for him to have faith in love as a source of hope amidst this seemingly meaningless existence. Love then becomes a path one takes to find fulfillment in their lives and their souls.

Bertrand Russell would affirm this idea by stating that love is the principal means of independence from the loneliness that encompasses men and women for the greater part of life. Russell states that the deep-seated fear of the cold and cruel world instigates a certain longing for affection that is often concealed by the walls we build to distance ourselves from the harsh truths of life – walls that come in the form of expedient pleasures: drugs, sex, alcohol, and others. Passionate mutual love that lasts puts an end to this feeling; it becomes the primary means by which we find our true selves, our true being. Through love, we begin to embrace life as a gift and work towards its betterment – making life happier and more meaningful.

But how can an uncertain thing such as love justify the uncertainty of life? It could be possible that love is just another lie we tell to protect ourselves from the harsh truths of life – another escape we take to avoid the torments of reality. Love may just be a shield that protects us from pain and a drug that suffices our craving for pleasure. Love is then just a concept we created to embellish our animalistic nature of wanting more pleasure and less pain – a fabrication to make ourselves feel special and validate our irrationalities.

The Buddha would tell us that love, in truth, is just but a misleading affliction. It does not give us purpose or meaning – rather, it causes more confusion and further derails us from the fulfillment of our lives. The Buddhists believe that to achieve enlightenment, one must detach themselves from worldly satisfaction and sensual gratifications – love being one of these. It is only when one frees themselves from the world can they transcend the pain associated with being. The Buddha then shows us that the way at which we can achieve Nirvana or true enlightenment is through the Eightfold Path: Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

Does this mean that love should be abandoned?

I believe that the Buddha missed something critical when he established that desires corrupt our being. Like the Buddha, one is tempted to believe that the irrational appetites of humans hinder them from transcending human potential – that if one could remove emotions and become fully rational, people would make better decisions and pain may be alleviated. But the truth is, if love be abandoned and forsaken, one falls into the grasps of nihilism - a path where one fails to see anything of value, not even existence itself. Without value, all there is is meaningless suffering, an empty world with no soul.

The perfect manifestation of this meaninglessness is exhibited in neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s Decartes’ Error where he discusses a patient's case he called “Elliot”. Elliot was a successful executive in a successful company – a smart, charming man. However, he developed a tumor in the frontal lobe of his brain, necessitating the lobotomy. After the operation, his cognitive abilities such as intelligence, memory, and attention, were still excellent, unaffected by the operation. However, his behavior changed – he didn’t attend an important board meeting to buy a stapler and he didn’t go to a parent-teacher conference in his son’s school to watch television. He made irrational decisions causing him to get fired from his job, abandoned by his wife and kids, and become homeless – yet, amidst all this, he remained unconcerned and indifferent. If his cognitive abilities are unimpaired – that is, he is supposed to be rational – why would he do such irrational actions? It then dawned on Damasio that the problem was not a matter of cognition, but of emotion. The part removed from Elliot’s brain impaired his emotional capacity such that his motivation to act cannot manifest itself anymore. He has become a nihilist without values.

Nihilism is a pit everyone often falls into nowadays. Increasing literacy rates are making people smarter, but not anymore wiser – we begin to believe that all we know is all that there is needed to know. We should remember that rationality brought to by science could be a double-edged sword: it could give us a means of becoming an objective thinker who can see the factual truths of reality, but it can also limit our truths to that.

When we realize the fact that we are only but a small speck of dust in the vast universe, we are tempted to believe that what we do will not matter because there is only of little consequence to existence. We fail to see that human experience is not based on matter, but on what matters. We often forget that we are rational beings embedded in an irrational world that demands us to have irrationality in order for us to make sense of this chaos.

In today’s world, we willfully choose to become nihilists because it is easier to let go of all the responsibility that life demands from us than to face the agony of trying and failing. It is easier to hate and blame the world than to get hurt by loving and struggling. But as Gus said “Pain demands to be felt” – no matter what we do, pain is inescapable. If we fail to value anything and become nihilistic, then all that there will be is meaningless pain – suffering for nothing.

Love is that which justifies the cruelty of existence. It is that which enables us to see the gold buried under the dirt, it is the ark that saves us from the flood. I then add to Gus: “Love demands to be known”. Love screams in the inner depths of our soul, calling for us to see that it is through him that life can manifest itself – that love is a precondition for our existence. Love is the path of paths that we take, it is the way of ways that life is given meaning.

If love is blind, and it is inevitable to love, how are we able to see what matters?

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Maybe being blind is not so bad if it means seeing the truth. Maybe this blindness would make us see that it is not a matter of knowing what love is, but of how we can love better. Maybe choosing to look with our hearts and not with our heads enriches our soul and gives us the meaning we so longed for. Maybe being blind will lead us to see that man is not merely constituted by atoms and quarks, but of something greater – something valuable and rare, something golden and sacred. Maybe if we choose to love, we will know what we should value most and work towards its perfection. Maybe if we choose to love, we become free. Maybe if we love, we can finally find home.

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16 must-read edgar allan poe poems and short stories.

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Portrait of American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). Undated illustration, after a photo by ... [+] Matthew Brady.

Boston-born, Richmond-raised Edgar Allan Poe is one of the greatest writers of all time and his name is one that inspires images of dark, atmospheric plots, haunting characters and soul-gripping storytelling. One of the reasons why Poe is called the master of the macabre is because he took the horror genre and found a niche within it. Even so many generations later, Poe’s creative DNA remains of the driving forces of the horror and mystery genres, and his works remain as unsettling and dreadful today as they were in the 19th century. Poe’s writing career began in the early 1820s with the release of “Tamerlane and Other Poems,” a collection of poems that included the well-thought-out 403-line poem “Tamerlane,” which narrated the story of a great 14th-century warrior living in regret.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Life And History

Even though Poe’s career spanned less than two decades, his impact on literature, specifically poetry, short stories and literary criticism, has become embedded in the blueprint of horror history. With over 70 short stories, nearly 50 poems and one novel, Poe’s works have set the stage for readers fascinated by atmospheric eeriness and layered detail and he is responsible for some of the greatest poems ever . In Poe's literary universe, every detail builds tension, which usually revolves around themes of death, obsession, madness and the supernatural. Regardless of whether you are reading the disturbing rendering of The Tell-Tale Heart or the melancholic beauty of Annabel Lee , Poe’s works are a sharp outline of the human psyche.

Handwritten text of "The Angel Face," a short verse by writer Edgar Allan Poe, circa 1848.

One of Poe’s recognizable contributions to the modern detective story is The Murders in the Rue Morgue , which Arthur Canon Doyle cited as the inspiration behind his acclaimed character Sherlock Holmes in his The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes masterpiece. But Poe is perhaps most famous for his gothic tales and poems, which are unparalleled in their ability to evoke a sense of dread and awe. Poe was a versatile writer who excelled in different literary forms including poems, short stories, essays and even a novel. Literary critics recognize him as one of the pioneers and masters of cosmic and gothic terror and his work influenced other literary giants like Baudelaire, Verne and Lovecraft. In spite of his talent, a big part of Poe’s life was chaotic and embattled mainly because of his financial struggles, heavy drinking , opium use, gambling and embattled relationships, much of which inspired the dark and somber nature of his writing.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Most Famous Works

Throughout his career, Poe wrote literature that focused on themes of love, mystery , satire and the extend of human wickedness and while ranking any writer’s work is subjective, below are 16 of Poe’s most famous works, ranked by their impact on public perception, complexity, critical acclaim and popularity.

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Wear solar eclipse glasses to look at aurora-causing sunspots this weekend, experts say: here’s what to know, apple iphone 16 release date: new report hones in on precise date, 16. “lenore” (originally published as “a pæan” in 1831).

This is one of Poe’s most well-rounded poems, one that examines the idea of death in a way that balances sorrow with hope and invites readers to think beyond grief and loss and instead towards the possibility of life after death. This poem has a loaded meaning for several reasons; for one, some sources say that Poe wrote this poem while mourning his brother and grappling with his wife’s illness, so the description of the death of a young, beautiful woman in this context carries an edge that feels deeply personal. Unlike some of Poe’s other works that focus on the tragedy of losing a loved one, "Lenore" strikes a more defiant tone, almost rejecting the mourning process. Readers who have ever struggled with the loss of a loved one and struggled to find closure will find this poem refreshing.

Where to read: Poe Stories .

View of the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage at Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, the ... [+] house where the poet and author lived from 1846 until 1849. The small wooden farmhouse built in 1812 is where Poe wrote such works as 'Annabel Lee' and is now a museum.

15. “The City in the Sea” (1845)

Poe’s “The City in the Sea” is a gothic imagination of a place ruled by Death, which he personifies in this poem, and that is perhaps something that makes the poem one of his stand-out works. Poe’s narration of Death’s reign over the silent, decaying city creates a sense of eerie stillness and foreboding that feels cold and dreadful to the reader. The poem’s dark and atmospheric imagery, coupled with its vivid descriptions of a sun that sets in the West and a city sinking into the sea, is another highlight of the piece, immersing the reader in a gothic world. Poe’s use of old-fashioned language further adds to the depth of this poem and the meaning behind it. Poe’s use of this language is not just a stylistic choice, but a deliberate tool that adds depth to the poem. This poem is ideal for readers drawn to dark, gothic poetry that focus on mortality and the supernatural.

Where to read: You can read “The City in the Sea” at Tweetspeak Poetry .

14. “The Haunted Palace” (1839)

In “The Haunted Palace,” Poe allegorically shows that great people too can be vulnerable. In the 48-line-poem, he tells the story of a beautiful palace that falls into ruin, but this ruin is Poe’s symbolism for a mind that is slowly descending into madness, and as Poe said: “I mean to imply a mind haunted by phantoms, a disordered brain.” This makes sense because part of what makes this poem a must-read on this list is the way that Poe creatively explains the fragility of the human mind and the delicate balance between sanity and madness. His comparison of a building structure to a human head is also part of what makes this poem haunting and memorable. This poem is perfect for readers who enjoy symbolic and allegorical poetry.

Where to read: You can read “The Haunted Palace” at Poetry Foundation .

13. The Oval Portrait (1842)

Poe’s The Oval Portrait is one of his shorter stories, but one whose intensity is not limited by length. The short story follows the story of an unnamed and ailing protagonist who is hiking with his valet, Pedro, along the Apennine Mountains of Italy when they come across a chateau. Eager to help the narrator find a place to spend the night, Pedro breaks into the chateau, with its unique architecture and even more unique paintings. As he looks through the house, the protagonist finds an oval vignette-style framed picture of a young woman, and as he studies the portrait, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the details of the photo and becomes even more fascinated when he reads about the background of the painting and the relationship the woman in the painting had with the painter. The story’s inquiry into how destructive obsession can be makes it a good read for fans of psychological horror.

Where to read: You can read The Oval Portrait at HarperCollins Publishers .

"Manuscript Found in a Bottle" by Edgar Allan Poe. Illustration by Arthur Rackham.

12. “The Bells” (1849)

“The Bells” is arguably one of Poe’s most lyrically gifted poems. In this piece, the talented poet employs sound as a character, giving readers an auditorily present experience through diacopic storytelling. Legend has it that Poe may have been inspired to write this piece by Marie Louise Shew, a nurse to Poe’s wife, Virginia, and later to Poe himself. If that is true, then the message in the poem makes sense. This posthumously published poem takes readers on an emotional journey, from the joyous pealing of wedding bells to the somber toll of funeral chimes, and brilliantly explains what each of these sounds means to people and places in time. Readers who enjoy reflective poems will like this one.

Where to read: You can read “The Bells” at All Poetry .

11. Ligeia (1838)

Poe’s unnerving Ligeia is a grotesque short story that blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural. The story follows an unnamed, grief-stricken narrator who speaks about the raven-haired, beautiful Ligeia and his overwhelming love for her when she was still alive. Her death devastates him, but after he remarries the fair-haired and blue-eyed Lady Rowena Trevanion of Tremaine, the plot turns bizarre. Shortly after their marriage, Rowena, like Ligeia, falls sick and then dies, but after her death, she seemingly comes back to life and, in a moment of horror, transforms into Ligeia. This short story is a good read for readers who enjoy gothic horror-themed stories that are psychologically complex.

Where to read: You can read Ligeia at Poe Stories .

"Ligeia" by Edgar Allan Poe, a Gothic Romance between Ligeia and unnamed narrator. Illustration by ... [+] Arthur Rackham.

10. The Gold-Bug (1843)

In The Gold-Bug , Poe combines the excitement of a treasure hunt with the intellectual part of solving a complex cipher and adventure to create an exciting story. The story follows William Legrand, a man who becomes obsessed with a gold-colored bug. With its scarab-like appearance, this bug becomes the driving force behind Legrand’s fixation to break the code and find the treasure, and he believes the bug will be the key to finding that lost fortune. Poe uses his ability to give readers a three-dimensional reading experience and make them feel like they’re right alongside him, piecing together clues that could lead to potential wealth. But this story is not just about the excitement of the hunt; it also focuses on Poe’s signature theme: obsession, as Legrand’s single-minded pursuit of the treasure reveals how easily the lure of riches can consume someone’s mind. The Gold-Bug speaks to anyone who enjoys classic mystery and cryptography-themed stories.

Where to read: You can read The Gold-Bug at Poe Stories .

9. The Pit and the Pendulum (1842)

This is one of Poe’s most anxiety-inducing short stories, and he uses the five senses to make readers feel even more terrified while reading this story. The plot centers around an unnamed narrator sentenced to death for an unnamed crime and is further tortured at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. After the trial, the narrator is held in a dark cell where he faces physical and psychological torture, but the biggest fear of all is the fear of the unknown, which seems to be hanging in the air, and as the narrator slips in and out of consciousness throughout the story, the fear becomes even more real. Poe’s lurid and descriptive descriptions of the nightmarish imprisonment bring the reader into the protagonist’s terrifying reality. Every creak of the pendulum is a horrifying reminder that his death is impending. Poe’s impressive use of literary claustrophobia makes the psychological thriller even more realistic. This story might be difficult to read for some, but it can appeal to readers intrigued by pulse-racing plots.

"The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe. Illustration by Arthur Rackham.

Where to read: You can read The Pit and the Pendulum at Poe Stories .

8. The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841)

The Murders in the Rue Morgue has more than a well-thought-out plot; it is the blueprint for the modern detective story, and it has become an inspiration for every fictional sleuth that has followed since, and Poe also famously referred to this story as his “tales of ratiocination,” meaning tales of logical reasoning. In this classic, Poe introduces us to Paris-based C. Auguste Dupin, a brilliant character whose keen awareness has made him the prototype for other sharp detectives we know and love today—think Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and beyond. The Murders in the Rue Morgue follows Dupin’s investigation into the murder of two women by sifting through the chaos, noticing the smallest details, and piecing together the puzzle with the utmost attention to detail. The story takes us through the streets of Paris, into a crime scene and with the help of an unnamed narrator, we can all have a front-row seat to what ends up being the creative origin of detective fiction. This story is a thrilling read for anyone who enjoys well-crafted classic mysteries.

Where to read: You can read The Murders in the Rue Morgue at Poe Stories .

Edgar Allan Poe's"The murders in the rue Morgue." Illustration by Mackay.

7. The Masque of the Red Death (1842)

Some critics argue that this story is not as in-depth as it could be because of how short and allegorical it is, yet it has inspired a lot of conversation over the past century and is considered one of Poe’s most well-known works. The chilling and symbolic plot is set against the backdrop of a plague and follows the arrogant Prince Prospero as he attempts to cheat death by hiding in the “safety” of his lavish abbey to avoid the plague. Inside the abbey, Prospero and his wealthy courtiers enjoy their wealth and host a lavish masquerade ball to escape reality. Poe masterfully uses the setting to build tension, with each room in the abbey representing a different stage of life, including the dreadful black room. The Masque of the Red Death is an allegory about the futility of trying to escape death, regardless of wealth or status. Some readers believe that the story was Poe’s example of a parody or a pastiche, but there has been a lot of conversation about what inspired this plot. This story is a must-read for those who appreciate literature that explores moral decay.

Where to read: You can read The Masque of the Red Death at Poe Museum .

6. The Cask of Amontillado (1846)

The Cask of Amontillado is one of Poe’s most chilling and tightly woven stories. The narrator and primary aggressor, Montresor, believes that his victim, Fortunato, has offended him, and in his bid for what he thinks is justice, he sets a cold-blooded plan in place that is just as cruel as it is calculated and eventually murders Fortunato. Poe’s decision to add several layers of mystery to this story leaves the readers guessing: why did Montresor kill Fortunato? What did Fortunato do? Why was Fortunato’s murder not investigated? What makes this story so suspenseful is the way Poe builds the plot, not through action, but through the deliberate revelation of Montresor’s sinister plan. The reader knows from the start that something terrible is going to happen, but the exact nature of Montresor’s revenge is revealed piece by piece, and this creates a sense of intrigue that escalates with each page turn. Readers who are fascinated about stories of revenge and blind vindication will enjoy reading this story.

Where to read: You can read The Cask of Amontillado at Owl Eyes .

"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe.

5. The Black Cat (1843)

This quintessential Edgar Allan Poe story digs deep into the unsettling realities of guilt, madness and psyche. The narrator, an alcoholic, at first, portrays himself as a kind and devoted animal lover, but slowly begins to show his darker impulses take control after his favorite cat bites him one night, and he punishes it by gouging its eye and hanging it from a tree. This sets the pace for his escalating violence toward animals and his decline into a spiral of cruelty and self-destruction, one that he also takes out on his wife by murdering her. The Black Cat offers a deep dive into the psychology of guilt, often discussed alongside Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart . The story focuses on themes of sanity and madness, making it one of Poe’s starkest commentary on the effects of alcoholism. Readers who enjoy stories about guilt, alcoholism and mental decline will find this book engaging.

Where to read: You can read The Black Cat at Arcadia Publishing .

4. The Fall of the House of Usher (1839)

The Fall of the House of Usher is an important gothic horror story that perfectly captures the eerie atmosphere for which Poe is renowned. As usual, Poe uses an unnamed narrator as the frontman in this story, and the plot follows the narrator as he visits the decaying Usher mansion at the request of his childhood friend, Roderick Usher. From the moment he arrives, it’s clear that something is wrong—not just with how the house looks, but with the people living there. The mansion itself feels alive, almost as if it’s feeding off the fear and madness seeping into its cracking walls, and as the story progresses, things get weirder and more unsettling. As in “The Haunted Palace,” Poe again uses the setting to reflect the inner turmoil of the characters, particularly Roderick Usher, whose mind seems to unravel with the crumbling structure around him. This story is essential for those who love gothic fiction and the psychological investigation of fear, isolation and madness.

Where to read: You can read The Fall of the House of Usher at Simon & Schuster .

Arthur Rackham's illustration for 'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allan Poe.

3. “Annabel Lee ” (1849)

In “Annabel Lee,” Poe again focuses on the death of a young, beautiful woman and this poem is considered the last complete poem that he composed. In this piece, the narrator blends darkness with romance, professing his undying love for the young woman, Annabel Lee, in each verse. His love is so strong that death could not even break the bond. The narrator also recounts how the angels themselves were envious of the soul connection he shared with Annabel Lee. The poem’s lyrical quality is both taut and rich, resonating with readers who are drawn to romantic poetry with a melancholic edge. Poe’s imagery of the “kingdom by the sea” adds a dreamlike, almost ethereal quality to the overall poem. The debate around which woman inspired the young, dead, beautiful woman in many of Poe’s poems and the speculation is that his wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, might have been the inspiration behind this.

Where to read: You can read “Annabel Lee ” at All Poetry .

2. The Tell-Tale Heart (1843)

Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart has become one of his most important works and is also arguably one of the most important literary outputs in the literature. The story hones in on themes of guilt and madness and the first-person narrator who spends a significant amount of time trying to convince the reader that he is sane, but his paranoia and obsession reach a fever pitch when he becomes fixated with his housemate’s filmy pale blue "vulture-eye," as he calls it. He soon convinces himself that the old man is evil and he must rid the world of this perceived evil, so he sets a plan in place to murder the man; however, after committing the gruesome killing, he carefully dismembers the body and sets a plan in place to hide the body. At first, he believes he has gotten away with the crime, but he soon realizes a relentless sound haunts him, one he thinks is of the older man’s still-beating heart. This sound, possibly an auditory hallucination and a manifestation of his overwhelming guilt, drives him to the brink of insanity. Once again, Poe uses guilt as a powerful tool to examine the human mind and its capacity for cruelty. This story is a must-read for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers with mentally unstable protagonists leading the plot.

Where to read: You can read The Tell-Tale Heart at Simon & Schsuter .

Illustration for Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" that shows police investigating the disappearance of a ... [+] missing man, whose blood-stained body is shown hidden under the floorboards.

1. The Raven (1843)

Poe’s The Raven is considered his most famous poem, and many people believe that it is his Magnum Opus, while other critics have argue that this poem is overrated. Regardless, the narrative poem has continued to remain a hallmark of Poe’s literary mastery. Much of Poe’s work followed the same formula: an unnamed protagonist, a dead lover, descent into madness and anguish over death, yet he managed to bring a different perspective to each storyline, one that seemed new to the reader each time. In The Raven , an unnamed man, presumably a student, is tormented by the loss of his true love, Lenore, and as he laments about the loss, a mysterious raven enters through the window and perches above his door. What begins as a curious encounter quickly turns into a descent into madness as the raven, with its eerie, repetitive cry of “Nevermore,” becomes the embodiment of the man’s grief and despair. The genius of The Raven is not just in its gothic narration but in its examination of the collapse of the human mind under the weight of sorrow. The poem’s musical quality and colorful storytelling create an immersive experience, and each stanza builds upon the last, intensifying the message until the protagonist realizes that the talking raven’s message—”Nevermore”—is an ugly prophecy of never-ending grief. This poem is a must-read for anyone interested in classic Gothic literature.

Where to read: You can read The Raven at Poetry Foundation .

An engraving of the titular bird from the story "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. The illustration was ... [+] done by French Impressionist Edouard Manet.

Bottom Line

We all remember Edgar Allan Poe as the chief virtuoso of gothic terror and psychological depth all these years later because no one has been able to replicate his formula. From haunting classics like The Raven to chilling acclaimed pieces like The Tell-Tale Heart , Poe’s approach to telling stories with dark intensity is just what the world needed and it has found a permanent home in the echelons of literary greatness.

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AN ESSAY FROM A HALF-BLIND MAN : r/love
There is a famous phrase saying that love is blind, and rightfully so. There have been many attempts to define what love is, yet every new definition…
Love is blind Free Essays
You do not have to see the one you love to know you love them. You accept love on blind faith. Love is blind and for a moment we use this phrase to justify the obvious flaws we do not recognize in the people. Lovers are oblivious to the truth and therefore unable to be clear-sighted. My perspective is that we are blinded by love and we act ...
Kerstin Emhoff Had A Key Role In Doug Emhoff Short Film Shown At The DNC
In addition to Cole, 29, Kerstin and Doug Emhoff also have a daughter, Ella, 25. "Thank you to all that helped make this," Kerstin Emhoff wrote about the short film in the caption of the post.
16 Must-Read Edgar Allan Poe Poems And Short Stories
See iconic Edgar Allan Poe poems and short stories, featuring gothic tales, dark themes, and hauntingly beautiful language from the master of macabre.