Platonic relationships - what is it?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Ancient Greek philosopher Plato was the founder of many interesting theories. Including the existence of several forms of love. The most significant of these, he considered such feelings that did not include bodily attraction. Since then, they have been called "platonic love".

Love-friendship

By and large, a platonic relationship is a direct answer to the question: "Is friendship between a man and a woman possible?" According to the generally accepted opinion, in any gender relationship there is a shade of eroticism, hidden sexuality. And if representatives of the opposite sex, close in age, communicate closely, see each other often, it means that there is “something” between them. Let's see how true this suspicion is. Recall the times of the Middle Ages, chivalry. Beautiful ladies come to mind, minstrels, sublime ballads in which the service of a woman was sung. This example perfectly characterizes the Platonic relationship. This is ideal love, living in hearts for many years, in which there is no hint of physical intimacy. Its synonym is chivalrous love. A man went to war, often left the object of his passion for more than one year. The lady promised to wait for him, made a vow of fidelity, and the man swore with her. People stayed true to the word for a long time. They could have a free sex life, but they didn't let anyone into their hearts.

Platonic love in faces

Or such an example of the concept of "platonic relationship": this is the connection between the great Russian classic of our literature, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, and the talented French opera singer Pauline Viardot. The history of their acquaintance is known to us from the school bench. And one can only be surprised at the immense amount of respect that these people had for each other and for their feelings, which gave them the willpower not to stoop to a banal affair. This is what true love-friendship, love-cooperation, love-support looks like. Viardot's husband, a famous Parisian composer and public figure, did a lot to popularize Russian literature and, in particular, the work of Turgenev himself. Naturally, it was no secret to him what exactly the writer was experiencing for Polina. But their platonic relationship is the embodiment of correctness and purity, and Louis Viardot accepted Ivan Sergeevich in his house with joy and pleasure, supported him in difficult moments of his life, considered him a member of his family. And Turgenev did not deceive his trust! He considered Viardot's children almost his children. The writer's daughterborn from a serf peasant woman, grew up and was brought up in a French family - in her homeland, in Russia, she was illegitimate! This is what it means to love a woman platonically! And combine personal, intimate feelings with the ability to make friends! Speaking of historical figures, one cannot but recall Marina Tsvetaeva and her “novels in verse” with the German poet Rilke and the Russian poet Boris Pasternak. Rilke and Tsvetaeva never met in person. She met Pasternak a few years later, after active written communication. But she loved both passionately and passionately - as a Poet can love another Poet, Talent in its most striking manifestation. With all this, she valued her husband, Sergei Efron, more than anything in the world, and laid down her life in order to be with him. Therefore, Platonic feelings are also the kinship of souls, the joy of communication, the closeness of the inner worlds.

Perfect love in literary works

Our literature is wonderful literature. If we raise the topic of ideal, high love, for which neither time nor distance is an obstacle, then the legendary “Garnet Bracelet” by Kuprin comes to mind. The petty telephonist Zheltkov was capable of a great spiritual feat. For many years he loves Princess Vera - without a hint of reciprocity, without any pretensions and pretensions. He loves and worships - like the Madonna, like a saint. Here it is, the highest manifestation of feeling! Here they are - a truly platonic relationship!