Lines of Love for Valentine’s Day

646 book group readers share their favourite romantic texts

Helen

My recommendation is an Elizabeth Taylor short story called "Flesh". It's in the Virago Modern Classics collection of her stories called "The Devastating Boys"(1972).

A contentedly married, good-natured middle-aged pub landlady takes a holiday alone in an un-named (probably Greek) island at the end of the Summer and pairs up with a lonely widower. They only have a fortnight to make the most of their encounter. It's both funny and poignant.


Trixibelle

This is one of the love letters King Henry wrote during their courtship, to Anne Boleyn. I like it because it addresses the separation of lovers, which is a timeless theme, because he expresses concern that she is not missing him as much as he misses her, again a timeless theme, and because he has sent her his portrait – again nothing changes! Henry’s passion for Anne is contained by a sense of practicality and bluffness throughout, he only gives full rein to his ardour once in a metaphor about the sun, which on closer scrutiny, doesn’t actually stand up. He’s so overcome by lust that he can’t get his facts right!

If you read this and the other love letters between the couple, it seems to me that they were truly in love, and that makes his subsequent actions all the more shocking. In fact I feel rather sorry for Henry. I also find Anne’s last letter, written to Henry from the Tower, one of the most romantic ever written. It’s too long to reproduce here, but you can read it at: http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/boleyn.html

My mistress and my friend – my heart and I surrender themselves into your hands, and we supplicate to be commended to your good graces, and that by absence your affection may not be diminished to us. For that would be to augment our pain, which would be a great pity, since absence gives enough, and more than I ever thought could be felt. This brings to my mind a fact in astronomy, which is, that the further the poles are from the sun, notwithstanding, the more searching is the heat. Thus it is with our love; absence has placed distance between us, nevertheless, fervour increases, or at least on my part. I hope the same from you, assuring you that in my case the anguish of absence is go great that it would be intolerable, were it not for the firm hope I have of your indissoluble affection towards me. In order to remind you of it, and because I cannot in person be in your presence, I send you the thing that comes nearest that is possible – that is to say, my picture, and the whole device, which you already know of, set in bracelets, wishing myself in their place when it pleases you. This is the hand of

Your servant and friend,  H.R.