Love, for many, is hard to describe, even for the most experienced writers. Cleary’s TEDx video proposes a few theories about love, one of which, she says, “We love in order to quench our physical and psychological desires.” One’s desires are based on their past experiences; causing their actions to be, as well. Hence, love in the past can impact present romantic relationships in unpredictable ways.
Falling in love may lead people to cheat on their already established relationships. Two writers, Wilde and London, approach the adulterous aspects of love in their works. Wilde writes a tale of two lovers: Isolde, who is married to the king, falls in love with Tristan and is emotionally unfaithful to her husband. Wilde writes, “One might note
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Firestone and Eliot address the negative memories in different ways. Firestone, in his line of work, has seen a man who “felt a flash of anger at his wife when she said she was worried about him riding his bike in an unsafe neighborhood” (2). His wife’s comment came from a loving place and yet he still grew mad. Using an anecdote strengthens Firestone’s credibility. He continues, writing, “Ironically, close moments with a partner can activate memories of painful childhood experiences, fears of abandonment and feelings of loneliness from the past” (7), meaning that people’s fears and pain from their past affect the way they receive empathy in their present. Firestone’s use of parallel structure helps the flow of the article for the reader, so it is easier for the reader to process the information that he provides. Eliot, on the other hand, writes a poem of a character reflecting on his character’s loveless past. His poem starts by describing the setting, writing that “the evening is spread out against the sky/Like a patient etherized upon a table” (2). Using the simile of comparing the night to a patient lying on a table sets a dark setting and tone for the rest of the poem because the word “patient” implies that someone is injured. The diction in his simile shows that Eliot’s character is in pain. It can be speculated that the character is in pain due to a lack of romantic connection, which is