Quote Response

And these are just the problems of a love that’s going well!

Imagine a love that’s crossed and doesn’t have a chance in hell –

Even with your eyes shut, you can grasp that the amount

Of troubles in unhappy love are more than you could count.

Best to keep eyes open, as I’ve said – don’t take the bait.

It’s easier to avoid the toils of love than extricate

Yourself once you are caught fast in the nets and to break free

From the strong knots of Venus. Yet you’re still able to flee

The danger, even if you’re tangled up, snared in the gin,

[1150] So long as you don’t stand in your own way, and don’t begin

To overlook all shortcomings in body and in mind

Of the woman you lust after. For desire makes men blind –

And generally they overlook their girlfriends’ faults, and bless

These women with fine qualities they don’t in fact possess.

That’s how it comes that we see girls – malformed in many ways,

And hideous – are petted darlings, objects of high praise.

Indeed, one lover often urges another he would mock:

‘Venus has it out for you – your love’s a laughing stock.’

(Poor fool – that his delusion’s worse would come as quite a shock!)

Quote from “nature of things (penguin C- Lucretius)