The Most Famous Symbols Of Love In History

Life

oi-Anwesha

By Anwesha Barari

Wednesday, February 8, 2012, 11:54

What do you usually understand by the term 'symbols of love'? Does it have to be a thing, a place or an object. Actually it means different things to different people and there are examples of all in history. On the occasion of the approaching V day when you are desperately looking for that something special to do this year, here are some things and places of love associated historically with undying eternal love stories. They could easily be your Valentine getaways if they are places and you can surprise your beloved with references to the others.

Eternal Symbols Of Love:

1. The Taj Mahal: Does anybody challenge the presence of this name at the top of the list? I don't think anybody will because is the most majestic way to celebrate a love story. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan decided lay down the mark of his love in history by building the most magnificent architectural wonder of the world. The Taj Mahal is a shrine of Mumtaz Mahal, the emperor's beloved wife. If you want places of love to visit this V day this is right at the top of the list.

2. Shakespeare's Dark Lady: We are not talking about Hamlet or Romeo Juliet or any of the other wonderfully tragic love stories that the maestro has written. But there is a body of his work that very few people know about and that is the sonnets he wrote to this mysterious woman called the 'Dark Lady'. These sonnets are not exalting or praising his lady love; they are actually quite insulting. (he says her 'hair are like wires') but they celebrate this plain looking woman just the way she is. It is symbol of true love although we do not know who is the real woman behind the poems.

3. 'The Birth Of Venus' By Sandro Botticelli: This renaissance painting is one of those examples of 'divine love' that is beyond the human realm. Venus, goddess of love and female sexuality is shown emerging from the sea to spread the emotion of love on earth. It has been reproduced several times and still continues to baffle us. You find this painting of love at place called Florence in Italy.

4. Layla By Eric Clapton: If you look for symbols of love in modern culture and art then you probably cannot miss out the interesting menage atrois (threesome) between best friends George Harrison and Eric Clapton with the formers wife Patti Boyd. While Beatles guitarist Harrison's wife remained the unachievable object of Clapton's unrequited love for some time, she managed to inspire one of the best love songs in history, Layla. The theme was inspired by the tragic Indian love story of Laila and Majnu. This tribute to love is now part of popular culture as Layla is a part of Clapton's life.

These were some of the modern and ancient symbols of love you might consider revisiting for this V day.