True Love

True love: does it have a real definition? Many people have different views and experiences that shape how they feel on the subject of “true love”. “True Love” by Wislawa Szymborska and “Let me not to the Marriage of True Minds” by William Shakespeare both create their own definitions of true love. Love, according to the Corinthians, is “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.” Although Shakespeare may be more widely known and appreciated Szymborska creates a more effective definition of true love in her poem by using sarcasm and a sort of pessimistic attitude.

Szymborska explains her feelings more clearly than Shakespeare due to the pessimistic attitude she uses. Szymborska feels that there is no real place for love because it “couldn’t populate the planned

in a million years” (Szymborska line 31). This true love “comes along so rarely” that she feels people should not make such a big deal of it (Szymborska 32). True love can only be explained by the people that have experienced it and true love is so rare that it should not be praised. Shakespeare, on the other hand, tries to say that love is constant and “it is the star to every wand’ring bark” (Shakespeare 7). If love is such a great bond that people can rely on then why is the divorce rate so high? And why are there many affairs in marriages? Shakespeare had an affair and produced an illegitimate child but somehow “love is not love/ Which alters when it alteration finds” (Shakespeare 2-3). The definition of true love that Shakespeare tries to create with his sonnet is contradicted by himself. How can a definition someone tries to create be violated by the same person?

Szymborska also creates a better definition of love with her sarcasm. Szymborska shows how unneeded love is in how she sarcastically states “it’s obviously a plot behind the human race’s back/ It’s hard even to guess how far things might go” (Szymborska 19-20). Szymborska’s implies is that love is an unneeded force that complicates life. Also, Szymborska speaks badly of love by saying, “Look at the happy couple./ Couldn’t they at least try to hide it, / fake a little depression for their friends’ sake!”(Szymborska 14-16). Everyone, at one time or another, has felt awkwardly around an overly affectionate couple, but also wishes that it was they receiving the affection. Szymborska’s opinion on the subject is common these days, however, even though she shows a direct hatred for the subject of love, never is it doubted in the poem that true love exists. She asks if love is