Love is a recipe for disaster
Intriguing as it may seem, the tradition of courtly love persists today. Just the right balance of elements is needed, in the exact amounts. Like a recipe card, it's well-balanced, but also leaves room for modest improvisations to let you come up with something truly unique. Firstly, a woman of incomprehensible grace must exist; second, genuine love must overcome all difficulties to win her; and third, catastrophe must strike, snuffing out her life like winter does to the most vibrant of blossoms in the spring. Courtly Love Tradition is brought to life by the poetry of Francesco Petrarch in the form of the two poems he wrote, "Sometimes She's Combed Her Yellow Braids Out Loose" and "Those Eyes I Raved About In Ardent Rhyme."
When Petrarch was writing his poems, he had complete creative control over the narratives they tell. His first ingredient, according to the recipe, had to be a stunning woman who was both out of reach and exuded grace. Known as his Calliope, Laura was the source of inspiration for him. As a result, we can infer that the two women in these poems are, in fact, Laura, based on the descriptions in the poems. At times, Laura would comb her yellow braids out loose, and even the breeze would rush to play with her golden locks. (lines 1-2). When Laura talked, I felt like I was hearing the angels, because the poem describes her as "like a goddess walking" (9, 12). It's said that her eyes, arms, hands, feet, and "loving face" cut the poet's soul in two in "Those Eyes I Raved About In Ardent Rhyme" (lines 1-3). It's clear from these descriptions that Laura is a fantastic fit. As far as I'm concerned, she's the best. There's no doubt that ingredient one exists.
If you mix the two poems, you'll find that ingredient two, finding a beautiful woman and finding real love, is severely deficient. Laura's affection for Petrarch is never explicitly stated. As a result, "Her bow is dangling, and her arrow is lodged" is what is written in the song "Sometimes She'd Comb Her Yellow Braids Out Loose" (14). This remark suggests that Petrarch's obsession with Laura is more important than Laura's love. "My soul dry kindling, waiting for her flame,/ and could I help it I was set ablaze?" Petrarch wrote in the same poem. (7-8). Again, Laura's feelings are uncertain from these lines. Petrarch, on the other hand, seems to have expressed his passion for her as "burning and passionate." When it comes to claiming the gorgeous maid, Petrarch appears to have omitted the second ingredient.
This poem, "Those Eyes I Raved About in Ardent Rhyme," contains the third ingredient—tragedy. The death of Laura is alluded to in this scene. There is no life or reason in the dust, as Petrarch puts it: "That angel smile whose flash made me believe/ the whole world had converted into paradise. "Unfinished" (6-8). Laura's beauty has waned with her passing, and she will be buried beneath the dirt, never to be seen again. Leaving Petrarch alive, though, is the real tragedy. I am still living in a state of sorrow and self-sabotage, and I beg you, please, no more love songs!/ [....] Let there be no more weeping on my lyre! In addition to "Those Eyes I Raved" (9, 12, 14). The death of a lover is not the source of the poem's melancholy; rather, it is the loss of the lover who has been left behind. Petrarch is still alive, and he is in excruciating pain. There is a third element, but it is overshadowed by the misery of life.
Petrarch's poetry have a strong resemblance to the Courtly Love tradition, but they lack all of the necessary characteristics to be fully authentic. Laura is infatuated by a stunning woman who seems out of reach, but instead of becoming a lover, she becomes the victim of a voyeuristic act. Death of a lover isn't the real sorrow; the real sadness is when a person you love dies while you're still alive. Unrequited infatuation is the theme of both "Sometimes She'd Comb Her Yellow Braids Out Loosed" and "Those Eyes I Raved About In Ardent Rhyme."
