Love can be defined as the butterflies you feel in your stomach. It can be the red roses and chocolate on your table. Nowadays, some would consider love as a sexual attraction towards each other. However, love is more than all that. So, how is love defined? The best place to find answers is in the treasure trove of literature. Literature does a good job portraying the different forms of love. There are seven types of love portrayed in the literature that are excitable and heartbreakingly beautiful.
Eros
In Greek mythology, Eros is the god of love, more precisely on passionate and physical desire. This definition is not far from literature. Eros represents a romantic, passionate, and physical love. This form is an expression of sexual passion and desires. Oftentimes, this is seen as a dangerous kind since it always ends with a tragedy or disaster. This is the most popular form of love portrayed in literature. You may see classic and pre-classic novels following this type. The more famous ones are Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet.
Philia
Philia is a love that is most commonly known as platonic love. You can find this type of love in a friendship. The hallmark of this type is shared goodwill. Philia is when two people benefit from being together, reaping companionship, dependability, and trust. At other times, philia occurs when people become united in a common purpose, pursuit, good, or end. Furthermore, it is in philia that other types of love develop. This feeds back the other types of love to strengthen and develop it. Plenty of books feature true friendships; such books are The Harry Potter Series and The Book Thief.
Pragma
Pragma is defined as lasting or enduring love. Eros is the type of love that tends to burn out quickly because its foundation is passion and intensity. However, pragma is a matured kind of love developed over a long period of time or challenges. This is the highest form of love, showcasing steadfast commitment, understanding, tolerance, and compromise. This may be hard to identify in books, but the unique love on A Major Hurdle book by Patricia Sims is a perfect representation of pragma. Stories in this type tend to end with the Happily Ever After conclusion. Besides A Major Hurdle, find pragma in The Notebook and The Vow.
Storge
Storge is a lot like philia; however, this is love more like a parent and child have. This is based on natural feelings and effortless love. Like philia, there is no physical or sexual attraction; instead, it is a strong bond, familiarity, and kinship. This is the type of love that knows forgiveness, acceptance, and sacrifice. The kind which makes anyone feel secure and safe. This is portrayed in novels like Little Women and My Sister’s Keeper.
Agape
The Greek word, Agape, translates to English as unconditional love. Also called universal love and charity by Christian thinkers. This suggests a pure type of love with no physical attraction involved. Literature depicts this type of love as more spiritually inclined. Most of the time, this is associated with the divinity or love of god. Agape builds psychological, social, and environmental fabric that enriches readers. You can find this type of love in Heaven is for Real and Outwitting the Devil.
Ludus
A playful kind of love is how ludus is defined. Flirtatious and teasing and often accompanied by dancing or laughter. Ludus comes off as a child-like and fun kind of love. The focus is on fun and also on conquests with no strings attached. The relationship portrayed will be casual, undemanding, uncomplicated, and can be long-lasting when both parties are mature and self-sufficient. An example of this is Macbeth.