Of Love

Francis Bacon
This essay is about

 Evils of depraving and unchecked love

 The goodness of martial love
 Purity of universal love
 And the consequences of the three
Reality of love
 Bacon opens the essay by claiming that the love or
romance shown on the stage, plays, and theatres is
highly unrealistic, far from reality. On stage, love is
portrayed as a noble trait leading to joy and
excitement. It often brings tragedy and sorrow.
However, in the real life, love does the real
disasters by bringing dark and foreboding. History
has a record that all the great, noble, and worthier
man who has done something great in the life have
refused this week passion and keep themselves
and their business away from such things.
Let History be guide
 Bacon gives some historical examples to state his
notion. Marcus Antonius, a member of Roman royalty
who was given a chance to rule over 1/3rd of the
empire, and Appius Claudius, the second member of
royalty who was given the other 1/3rd of empire, to
explain the destructing effects of love. The former
was the man of ambition and power, however,
amorous, impulsive, and restrained. He had little or
no control over his heart and wandered in pursuit of
love and lust. While Claudius was a sober, sage and
wise man of great wisdom. He never brought himself
disgrace while rushing towards quixotic desire.
 Bacon quotes the Greek philosopher Epicurus who
promoted self-control, self-discipline, and restraint
in one’s life. He warned his followers against
chasing the worldly desires and says that “we are
sufficient for one another”. By this, he conveys a
message that one must live his life fully, without
indulging into conflicts with others. One should not
avenge other and must restrain himself from other
such misdeeds. He expresses his disproval for a
man of great worth who bowed in front of a woman
he loves and makes themselves small and
miserable.
Unfettered love 
 Bacon, furthermore, talks about the unfettered love that
destroys the man. He says that such love devalues the man
and make them insignificant in front of others. Moreover,
Bacon argues about romantic poetry in which the writer
exaggerates the beauty of his beloved unnecessary. To him,
such exaggeration is only suitable for romance and writing;
they are not applicable in practical life. A paramour who
detriments his discriminating influence to transfer flattering
words to his woman evidently negotiates with his intellect,
and judging power. A proud man will never make his
beloved to rule over him by pouring sugarcoated words on
her. For Bacon, a wise man must not love as it is impossible
to be wise and to love at the same time.
Unrequited love
 In an unrequited love, the praises and compliment
of a man for his beloved woman appear to be a
weakness of his character. Moreover, when her
woman doesn’t feel responding the paramour, she
treats his love as a pitiable weakness of his
character. The love of man can result in two things:
either the woman will respond to him in the same
way or will create an inward feeling of insignificant
in a woman for the man. So, Bacon warns, the man
before falling in love should understand one thing
that it doesn’t harm anything but man’s self-
esteem.
Other demerits of love
 hose who see the world as nothing but a place to
fulfill their carnal desires destroy themselves. They
losses both affluence and wisdom in search or sexual
pleasures in the world. Bacon argues that such
passions are overwhelmed in the period of prosperity
than of adversity. Carnal pleasures get accentuated in
the time of both happiness and distress and can be
called as “child of folly”. However, these sensual
pleasure when are uncontrolled can lead to the
destruction of business, wealth, and health.
 The army men seem to have a special attraction for
love as they have for the wine
Merits of love
 Bacon discusses the men’s nature and argues
that men have a special inclination towards
love for other. He makes his love universal by
expanding it towards everyone, no matter
such love gentle and kind and people who
have some spiritual and religious belonging
have this kind of love. In the end, Bacon says
that the love that arises from marriage is the
root cause of mankind’s creation, while love in
friendship makes it perfect but lust corrupts it
and embarrass it.
Analysis
 The objective of Bacon in this essay is to demonstrate the effect
of love on all kinds of people. No matter who you are, you will fall
in love with somebody and this love will definitely have an effect
on you, and sometimes love makes one do senseless things.
 Bacon then talks about the sensual love that drains one’s

intelligence. For some people, love is nothing but a source of

Carnal pleasure. However, such love if lasted long has hard
consequences.
 Bacon then talks about the noble and kind love the spiritual

people possess. They don’t love a single person or group of

people but the entire universe. They are more inclined towards
every creation in the universe. Another kind of noble love that
Bacon argues about is the love between husband and wife. This
love is further dignified with the love of friends.