The concept and definition of love in Andrew Marvell’s “The definition of Love”, George Gordon Lord Byron’s “When we two parted” and Thom Gunn’s “Carnal Knowledge”. “The Definition of Love” is a poem by Andrew Marvell written in 1650-1652 and published 1681.
In this poem Marvell talks about Love. In the first stanza he speaks of the discovery of a love so unique that it resembles to nothing he has ever experienced. But his lover is of upper status and the fact that they will never be able to be together brings him deep sadness. When we read the second stanza we understand that Marvell feels the power of his heartache is only as powerful as their love is. And even though the chance of this love ever existing is next to zero, it gave him a spark of hope. In stanza three, Marvell deducts that if there is hope then the love is real and he knows he will fall in love very easily. However, he knows that the difference of hierarchy is determined to keep them apart. In stanza four, Marvell also feels that this situation or fate as he calls it had reasons for being so inflexible to the potential of their love. Because if they decided to go against ‘fate’ the women would have her reputation tarnished by being with someone below her class. Plus, it would be a scrape to her family in the eyes of society, something she could not allow to happen. This decision reached by the women in the fifth stanza, made it crystal clear that the two lovers would never be. They would have to keep cool and not forget their place, because if they do they would not be able to control themselves and they would for sure become lovers, so a safe distance must be kept. In stanza six, Marvell realizes that unless a miracle occurs and the way the world is ran changes, they would have space to bloom, but there is little chance this happens. But no matter what their love will continue to exist forever. Marvell concludes that their potential love will always be a bond between him and her, even though