The poems by Petrarch and Labe all spoke about the anguish that goes hand in hand with love, either unrequited or not.  Petrarch was in love with this fair maiden and he longed to be with her. ‘ I who had the lure of love in my breast, what wonder if I suddenly caught fire?’ He felt that he wore his heart on his sleeve visible to the fair maiden but she pitied him. One can only assume that she did not feel the same way. Labe anxiously awaited the return of her love. ‘ At any rate, your roving ways are sure,To make me count the weeks we’ve been apart, and open gaping wounds within my heart, this ailing heart which you alone can cure.’ These poems are so melodramatic and it’s difficult to envision people in this current century being that way when it comes to love. We are so programmed to hide our emotions that this all consuming love for another human being seems so elusive. It seems that with great love comes great sorrow, something that I would personally prefer to avoid.

Reading Sapphos’ dialect about love was illuminating and somewhat private. I felt like I was looking into her very soul by the way she poured her heart out. It was at times poignant and reflective yet portrayed emotions that I’m sure she had no idea that so many people in this century would identify with. There was definitely no boundaries when it came to her frank love and appreciation for the same sex and how she loved so strongly her lovers.  Her idea about love was at times frightening in it’s intensity and something I would ordinarily shy away from but I had no choice to read these.

Due to the machinations of Venus and Juno, Dido was forced to fall in love with Aeneas when Venus sent Cupid to get them to fall in love. Aeneas chose duty over staying with Dido which in the end led to her untimely demise. The fact that she took her life rather than face a life without her lover showed how much she had succumbed to the will of the interfering Gods. It felt like she was the pawn that was used by greater forces other than herself to fulfill another’s destiny. Her life would’ve ended differently if she was left to exercise her free will but was instead tragically cut short. Dido was used by all involved especially by Aeneas who did not truly love her.