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.
We live in a world where today tons of artists are profiting off a broken heart or by expressing the suffering they endured in a relationship. It makes for great music and is something people gravitate towards because they can relate to difficult relationships. However, I do agree with you, we all would rather avoid this pain and find a happy and easy type of love.
I agree that their language sounds very melodramatic and a little silly from a modern point of view, but back then they probably thought it sounded more sincere, and beautiful. People don’t seem to express that kind of emotion so much anymore — there seems to be more value in being independent, to not yearn so much. A lot of people probably feel the way described in the Labe’s and Petrarch’s poems, but keep their emotions inside because the people around them would disapprove. We should all just feel things.
I agree that nowadays its hard for people to feel the way described in these poems. Like you mentioned above, it is hard to see people in this day and age to act that way. You would either hear about things in songs where people make a profit out of it, or see it in movies. However i do see in some ways how we might feel the same one those poets do when me meet someone, or love someone. But like you said most of those feelings are kept internally nowadays.