Medieval Lyrics

I really enjoyed the poem "The Art of Love." It is about a man who is sincerely in love with a woman. The speaker says he will turn down material things, such as the city of Luserna and being the Pope, to have her love. He is tormented and lonely without her, and prays to God for good luck with her. He compares the work of loving her as trying to hoard the wind. It is clear that this poem is from the Medieval era because of the powerful overlying motif of love. This topic was very popular in Medieval poems. The poem also demonstrates the Medieval idea of courtly love, as opposed to arranged marriages. Another motif within the poem that connects to the Medieval time period is that of religion. The speaker prays, attends mass, and lights candles in hope of receiving divine help in winning the heart of his lover. Many Medieval poems demonstrated religious elements.