A Medieval Book on Courtly Love

No wonder so many myths and stories concerning romance between the male and female towards each other have been written as inspired by that of the Middle Ages. Often times we attribute to people chivalrous qualities to men, and ladylike manners to women. So often do people forget that many of the things we believe about ourselves and the word around us were largely formulated in the Middle Ages. These Medieval Times saw the blossoming of Courtly love.
 Whereas today when most males contact  a girl that they are interested in, it is usually done by some informal and even pushy manner. A guy make ask a girl out on a date or for a way to contact her as a form of pursuing her.

 In the Middle Ages, Knights wrote poetry about the ladies they courted. They would frequently send a sonnet to win the heart of the woman they courted.

As some of you probably know I spend a lot of time at bookstores! I reguarly to to Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and others. I am at Mckay's bookstore probably at least twice a week. Sometimes I buy books quickly though that is not the norm. I usually spend a good amount of time in bookstores.
 So as I was at Mckay's bookstore some weeks ago, I was surprised to find a book in the poetry section that I had never heard of. It was in fact one of the most widely read romantic works from Medieval Times. It was called the Romance of the Rose, and it is a book I plan to read soon. The book was written by Guillaume de Lorris, an author that we today we know little of.

The French Poet Capellanus, was clear on guidelines to courtly love. Capellanus was a 12th century French poet of some notable French works of courtly love including The Art of Courtly Love.  

One of the things that came to my mind when I recently learned about how knights would write sonnets for the women they loved, is that people use to put their minds more to work as concerns literary things than do many today. Indeed, how much easier it is for many today to chat on date nights and watch movies then write poetry of each other.  Our world brags so much on education yet has lost so much sight of it, especially as concerns the arts. 

 Anyhow, those were just some of my thoughts. Share yours on this topic of courtly love below if you so please! 

 The Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Lorris is on my reading list within the near future! 

Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely hind, a graceful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love. -Proverbs 5:18-19