Tag Archives: love

Austen: Romance without Words

By Robin Bates | Published: February 13, 2025

Jane Austen never directly reports a protagonist saying “yes” to a marriage proposal. For Valentine’s Day, I explore why.

By Robin Bates | Published: March 30, 2024

Two poems for Easter on the power of love over death.

By Robin Bates | Published: October 19, 2023

Fletcher in “Masterworks” argues that epic narrative can boost courage and lyric disclosure can do the same for love.

By Robin Bates | Published: February 16, 2023

A Tagore poem for my wife on her 71st birthday.

By Robin Bates | Published: February 13, 2023

Millay makes a strong case against love in her sonnet, but love wins out anyway.

By Robin Bates | Published: June 9, 2021

As Julia and I celebrate our 48th wedding anniversary, I am put in mind of Milton’s celebration of “wedded love.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged John Milton, Paradise Lost, sexuality | Comments closed

By Robin Bates | Published: June 7, 2021

Hugging my grandchildren for the first time in over 18 months brought to mind Longfellow’s “Children’s Hour.”

By Robin Bates | Published: February 16, 2021

I celebrate my wife’s 70th birthday with a Christina Rossetti love poem.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 16, 2021

In this poem Levertov talks about the difficulties of loving the morning again after a night of horrors.