Love rests on no foundation. It is an endless ocean, with no beginning or end.
-Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi
Do you believe in love at first sight, or how about soul mates? Do you believe in true immortal love, love that defies the limits of time and space? I myself would like to believe that something so powerful and pure exists somewhere in this endless universe. But, then again, I’m a hopeless romantic. I’d love to think that there is a perfect love out there for all of us, and we just have to be patient while we are on the journey that will take us to it. But in reality, I’m also a child of divorce and have a difficult time believing in something that I have yet to witness. Maybe it’s all just chemicals in our brain messing with our emotions, all in an attempt to keep our species alive and reproducing.
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Either way, it is a part of our culture and species that has fascinated the human race since the beginning of time. We have composed epic songs and poems about it, written about it in great works of literature, and attempted to dissect it into little tiny pieces so we can observe it under a figurative microscope. Let’s face it. We are obsessed with the phenomena of love. But what is it that keeps us coming back to the question of whether true love exists? Science has certainly attempted to explain it away by now with facts and figures on chemicals in the brain and what causes their release. So, why do we still believe, even if it’s in a tiny corner of our being, that this magical force called true love exists?
Perhaps it’s because no matter how much it’s poked, prodded, and dissected there’s still evidence that there’s something more to it, something ethereal and mysterious. Throughout history, there have been couples whose love and devotion to each other seems to defy all logic. They have a soul-deep connection that seems to surpass even the limits of space and time. Their love’s a thing of wonder and magic; a force so powerful that it can unite or divide countries, change the course of history, even conquer death. To witness, it’s almost akin to witnessing a miracle. You may have scoffed before but when it’s right there in front of you, you can’t help but believe. And so we humans are forced to acknowledge the intangible and mysterious force called love.
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In this week’s top list, I have gathered some of these remarkable love stories together for you. These are the lovers who have caught our attention and made us believe in the possibility of true love. Their stories and their love for one another have stood the test of time, igniting a spark of hope that true love does exist in all those who have heard their tales. So, sit back, relax, and let me remind you of the power of true and enduring love. It’s out there somewhere. We just have to have faith.
CATHERINE THE GREAT AND POTEMKIN
ABELARD AND HELOISE
BONNIE AND CLYDE
SCARLETT O’HARA AND RHETT BUTLER
TRISTAN AND ISOLDE
ELIZABETH AND DARCY
FRANKLIN AND ELEANOR
PAOLO AND FRANCESCA
Painting: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, oil on canvas, 1819
JANE AND ROCHESTER
Photo: Focus Features
JUSTINIAN AND THEODORA
WALLIS SIMPSON AND KING EDWARD VIII
ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE
LANCELOT AND GUINEVERE
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
LAYLA AND MAJNUN
MARY AND PERCY SHELLEY
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
ODYSSEUS AND PENELOPE
PARIS AND HELENA
PIERRE AND MARIE CURIE
POCAHONTAS AND JOHN SMITH
PRINCE RAINIER III AND PRINCESS GRACE
PYRAMUS AND THISBE
ROMEO AND JULIET
SALIM AND ANARKALI
SHAHJAHAN AND MUMTAZ MAHAL
LADY JANE AND LORD DUDLEY
JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING AND ROBERT BROWNING
VICTORIA AND ALBERT
Painting: George Hayter, 1840-42
Do you believe in true love? What couples from history and classic literature do you love? Sound off below…
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I defintely believe in true love! And some of my very favorite couples are on this list. But I would have loved to have seen the Doctor and Rose (because, well, I’m a geek) and Wesley and Buttercup. But seeing as how you do have my all time favorite literary couple here, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, I have a recommendation for you. If you haven’t seen The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube, you must! It’s a brilliant update of Pride and Prejudice. I highly recommend it. And don’t Google it ahead of time!
The suspence waiting to see certain characters is totally worth it.
Everyone’s been telling to watch that! 🙂 I’ll have to buckle down and give it a go. I’m sorry I didn’t include the Doctor and Rose. They are definitely one of my absolute favorite couples, but I was sticking to history and literature only. I can’t believe I didn’t think to include Wesley and Buttercup, though. Good catch!
Wait, you mean to tell me that Doctor Who isn’t based on real life events in a parallel universe?!?!? I’ve been lied to??? All joking aside, I wish they were real. That would be awesome. 🙂
I’ll bet you’re going to love The Lizzie Bennet Diaries when you actually see them. The acting is so good, and the famliar story so fresh and new, and it’s easy to watch in little four minute chunks……if you like it, I hope to see a review here! I’d love to read about your impressions of it!