  Romance/Love
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Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
Franklin P. Jones |
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I am really quite clueless when it comes to this genre, wait - before you dial for those those guys in white coats to come and pick me up, hear me out! I might not be able to write this genre, but I like to read it - a good dose of love in any story makes me smile. I enjoy ones that add it in small doses and let some other genre take center place, but I also read out-and-out romances. Nora Roberts, Georgette Heyer (both Regency and Detective), I even read Mills and Boons! I preferred the older versions which were not quite so explicit in the art of love. I especially appreciated authors like Essie Summers because her dialogues were snappy and amusing and her description of the New Zealand Outback fascinating.
Writing this is not as facile as it may seem, the track of a good romance can be as challenging as a mystery. I have seen some previous Newsletters address the issue of sub-genres, and side characters in a lucid manner. So, I thought, why not explore what we perceive to be the symbols of romance and love?
The best recognised symbols would be:
A Red Rose: Florists make a good part of their business by using these, the traditionally favoured symbol of love. The Rose is a symbol of passion, desire, voluptuous perfection, and physical beauty. Red is for passion - but that's not the entire gamut of feeling that this versatile flower can express. Did you know that too dark a crimson could be misconstrued as a sign of mourning? The bud signifies the innocence of love, a thornless one the purity of the feeling. If she gave you back a rose leaf, it meant you could have hope, if it was a dried rose it meant abandonment of the same.
A Heart: I am talking of the shape here - the ubiquitous one that desecrates many trees and monuments with initials carved inside. A heart-shaped container or box can contain something else, yet declare itself to be a gift made in the throes of love. Chocolates are traditionally available in such boxes, the sweet and richly sensual nature of the chocolate reinforcing the message sent.
A Diamond: Ian Fleming came up with the term 'Diamonds are Forever'. He thus immortalized their endurance.The fact that they are so hard to destroy makes them a symbol of eternal love, the fact that they are expensive and rare helps to set them up as something to treasure the one who stands above mere roses and chocolates!
Cupid: This winged God is reputed to possess the power to aim his flights of love at people and make those pierced by them fall in love with each other. Ironically he is one of the first persons to have shot himself in the foot  , he suffered love-pangs himself as a result! Plaster and ceramic statuettes are common adornments for the mantelpiece of the loved one.
Lesser known symbols:
The Dove: Alone, it wings its solitary way as a tireless messenger of peace, carrying with it a sprig of olive leaves, perhaps the olive branch so oft quoted? But, as a pair, it is a symbol of love. I think the Crane, which pairs for life, should be such a symbol, but I could find no such reference.
The Dolphin: Along with speed, diligence and intelligence the Dolphin is also a messenger of love. This is partly due to its association with Delphi, which signifies the love embodied within the womb. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, was said to take the form of the dolphin and was also known as the Woman of the Sea.
The Triangle: No, no not the love triangle so favoured by love stories and romances, from the time of Shakespeare, although two simultaneous triangles often became a rhombus! But in Ancient Egypt the Triangle was seen as a symbol of intelligence and indicated the capacity for love. The triangle is a prime element of the Buddhist Shri Yantra mandala, it encourages the invocation of love energy to achieve ascended states of consciousness and union with the divine. The Triangle also deals with the love represented in the mother, father, child union as well as the holy trinity.
The Lock and Key: Invariably the lock will be depicted as heart shaped and the key delicate and filigreed, but the symbolism indicates the understanding that exists only between a pair of true lovers.
An Apple: Yes, I said apple. Garden of Eden association aside, it is a symbol of fertility and often associated with Aphrodite or the Goddess of Love.
Characters: In this days of T-shirt slogans and symbols there is a Chinese character that is increasingly doing the rounds. *sighs* I am sincerely trying to avoid double meanings but they do not seem to be eschewing me with quite the same fervour! It is not any doyen of Martial Arts who is doing any of those incredibly gravity defying moves, but a complex bit of calligraphy which is reputed to stand for 'I love you with all my heart'. It might be good to memorise it for the next time you see some one hold up that placard to you.
Colour: The colour red is itself a symbol for love, implying probably the hue of passion. Then the candy-pink so patronised by the greeting card and gift industry also seems to have climbed onto the bandwagon. One need not mention balloons and flowers and even - ugh - teddy bears in this florid colour.
Each culture and land seems to have their own special symbols, like the Taj Mahal is our very own Indian monument to eternal love. It would take too long to detail them all here. But, these are quite enough to begin with ...
Go ahead, weave some into your writing ... |
Some of the site's offerings, which make use of symbolism in their tales of Romance and Love. I like tales that have something of the unusual in their approach or handling of what is after all, a well-worn formula.
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A magical romance indeed; it captured my heart because the protagonists are not the heady young lovers commonly depicted.
Purple thoughts and the misery of unrequited love, yet hope is renewed by the dolphin.
The doves spiral upward as they vow eternal love.
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How low do mortals stoop - can the Gods be far behind?
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It is not a story, except maybe one for the grandkids, but the title says it all.
This one was a real gift from the heart. Beautifully simple. Simply beautiful. |
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This is my first outing in this role, so I have no previous feedback to feature. I would like to hear from you all though.
The obvious choice would be to write in and tell me of other symbols of which you are aware. But what I also want to know is Romance or Love purely 'young adult' to you? Can you imagine a story where the lead pair were mature or in their silver years? Maybe a story about adolescent love, or even 'puppy' love?
'The Lady and The Tramp' was Walt Disney's offering to the maverick romances, what would yours be? |
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Romance/Love: May 20, 2009 Issue [#3056]
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