---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Love, according to our contemporary…"
description: "\"Love, according to our contemporary poets, is a privilege which two beings confer upon one another, whereby they may mutually cause one another much so..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/honor-de-balzac-197_absolutely-nothing_love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets_290963.png"
---

#  Love, according to our contemporary poets, is a privilege…

![“Love, according to our contemporary poets, is a privilege which two beings confer upon one another, whereby they may mutually cause one another much sorrow over absolutely nothing.” quote by Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/honor-de-balzac-197_absolutely-nothing_love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets_290963.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/honor-de-balzac-197_absolutely-nothing_love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets_290963.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/honor-de-balzac-197_absolutely-nothing_love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets_290963.png)

> “Love, according to our contemporary poets, is a privilege which two beings confer upon one another, whereby they may mutually cause one another much sorrow over absolutely nothing.”

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Love is portrayed as a mutual privilege that can cause deep sorrow over trivial matters.

**In simple terms:** Love can bring pain over small things.

Key Takeaway

Recognize love’s power to hurt and cherish it wisely.

Themes

love pain mutuality vulnerability

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- relationships
- friendships
- creative writing
- therapy

Key Concepts

Romantic idealism psychology of attachment

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance love’s joy with its potential pain?
- What small triggers cause disproportionate sorrow in love?

A Different Perspective

Love’s intensity can amplify minor grievances.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Absolutely nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely-nothing/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Contemporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary/) [Contemporary Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary-poets-2426024/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mutually Cause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutually-cause-2799884/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets/) [Poets Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets-privilege-2799883/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/)

## Related quotes

> [I know that in some ways I operate from a kind of antiquated interest in imagery, while many contemporary poets are not so interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ronk/i-know-that-in-some-ways-i-operate-from-a-kind-of-antiquated-interest/)

[Martha Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ronk/)

> [Contemporary poets are skeptical and suspicious even, or perhaps especially, about themselves. They publicly confess to being poets only reluctantly, as if they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/contemporary-poets-are-skeptical-and-suspicious-even-or-perhaps/)

[Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/)

> [The formal stuff feels old and windy. Not to say you shouldn't know prosody. But it's a wonderful time for exploratory poetics. Contemporary poets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/the-formal-stuff-feels-old-and-windy-not-to-say-you-shouldn-t-know/)

[Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/)

> [“Contemporary poets got so obscure that poetry kind of fell out of favor,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ruffin/contemporary-poets-got-so-obscure-that-poetry-kind-of-fell-out-of/)

[Paul Ruffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ruffin/)

> [What a delightful thing is the conversation of specialists! One understands absolutely nothing and it's charming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-degas/what-a-delightful-thing-is-the-conversation-of-specialists-one/)

[Edgar Degas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-degas/)

> [Listen to everyone, read everything; believe absolutely nothing unless you can prove it in your own right!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-william-cooper/listen-to-everyone-read-everything-believe-absolutely-nothing-unless/)

[Milton William Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-william-cooper/)

> [Here is something no real celebrity will ever tell you: film acting is not very fun. Doing the same thing over and over again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/here-is-something-no-real-celebrity-will-ever-tell-you-film-acting-is/)

[Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/)

> [There is no reason not to love. There is no reason not to be joyous. There is no reason not to celebrate because all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-no-reason-not-to-love-there-is-no-reason-not-to-be-joyous/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-caddy/expect-the-most-wonderful-things-to-happen-not-in-the-future-but/)

[Eileen Caddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-caddy/)

> [Well, I've got nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/well-i-ve-got-nothing-to-hide-absolutely-nothing/)

[Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/)

> [I cannot conceive of music that expresses absolutely nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-bartok/i-cannot-conceive-of-music-that-expresses-absolutely-nothing/)

[Bela Bartok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-bartok/)

> [I know quickly whether a guy is boyfriend material. If I can have a good time doing absolutely nothing with him, then that's boyfriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-hannigan/i-know-quickly-whether-a-guy-is-boyfriend-material-if-i-can-have-a/)

[Alyson Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-hannigan/)

> [I am unusual for a Frenchman - I have absolutely nothing against the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-am-unusual-for-a-frenchman-i-have-absolutely-nothing-against-the/)

[Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/)

> [“Amateur psychiatric prognosis can be fascinating when there is absolutely nothing else to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-condon/amateur-psychiatric-prognosis-can-be-fascinating-when-there-is/)

[Richard Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-condon/)

> [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

## More by Honore de Balzac

> [“Oh, my friend, when you love, love a woman whom you are sure that you can love always. Never forsake a woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/oh-my-friend-when-you-love-love-a-woman-whom-you-are-sure-that-you/)

[Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [“You have broken the ice, though you have not even scratched its glossy surface: you have placed your hand upon the croup of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/you-have-broken-the-ice-though-you-have-not-even-scratched-its-glossy/)

[Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [In a world of hunchbacks, a fine figure becomes a monstrosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/in-a-world-of-hunchbacks-a-fine-figure-becomes-a-monstrosity/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [It is quite right what they say: the three most beautiful sights in the world are a ship in full sail, a galloping horse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/it-is-quite-right-what-they-say-the-three-most-beautiful-sights-in/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [My writing table has seen all my wretchedness, knows all my plans, has overheard all my thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/my-writing-table-has-seen-all-my-wretchedness-knows-all-my-plans-has/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [Foppery, being the chronic condition of women, is not so much noticed as it is when it breaks out on the person of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/foppery-being-the-chronic-condition-of-women-is-not-so-much-noticed/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [A married woman is a slave you must know how to seat upon a throne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-married-woman-is-a-slave-you-must-know-how-to-seat-upon-a-throne/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [Rich men are resolved to be astonished at nothing. When they see a masterpiece, they must needs at one glance recognize some flaw to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/rich-men-are-resolved-to-be-astonished-at-nothing-when-they-see-a/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [I am a galley slave to pen and ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/i-am-a-galley-slave-to-pen-and-ink/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [One can imagine the look the two lovers exchanged; it was like a flame, for virtuous lovers have not a shred of hypocrisy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/one-can-imagine-the-look-the-two-lovers-exchanged-it-was-like-a-flame/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [White and shining virgin of all human virtues, ark of the covenant between earth and heaven, tender and strong companion partaking of the lion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/white-and-shining-virgin-of-all-human-virtues-ark-of-the-covenant/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [All men can bear a familiar, definite misfortune better than the cruel alternations of a fate which, from one moment to another, brings excessive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/all-men-can-bear-a-familiar-definite-misfortune-better-than-the-cruel/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [The mind, too, has its regimen. It needs gymnastics, just like the body does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-mind-too-has-its-regimen-it-needs-gymnastics-just-like-the-body/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [Hatred like love feeds on the merest trifles. Everything adds to it. Just as the being we love can do no wrong, so the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/hatred-like-love-feeds-on-the-merest-trifles-everything-adds-to-it/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [All human power is a compound of time and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/all-human-power-is-a-compound-of-time-and-patience/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

[Explore all 793 Honore de Balzac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

## More Absolutely nothing quotes

> [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [“Amateur psychiatric prognosis can be fascinating when there is absolutely nothing else to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-condon/amateur-psychiatric-prognosis-can-be-fascinating-when-there-is/)

[Richard Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-condon/)

> [I am unusual for a Frenchman - I have absolutely nothing against the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-am-unusual-for-a-frenchman-i-have-absolutely-nothing-against-the/)

[Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/)

> [I know quickly whether a guy is boyfriend material. If I can have a good time doing absolutely nothing with him, then that's boyfriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-hannigan/i-know-quickly-whether-a-guy-is-boyfriend-material-if-i-can-have-a/)

[Alyson Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-hannigan/)

> [I cannot conceive of music that expresses absolutely nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-bartok/i-cannot-conceive-of-music-that-expresses-absolutely-nothing/)

[Bela Bartok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-bartok/)

> [Well, I've got nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/well-i-ve-got-nothing-to-hide-absolutely-nothing/)

[Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/)

> [Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-caddy/expect-the-most-wonderful-things-to-happen-not-in-the-future-but/)

[Eileen Caddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-caddy/)

> [There is no reason not to love. There is no reason not to be joyous. There is no reason not to celebrate because all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-no-reason-not-to-love-there-is-no-reason-not-to-be-joyous/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Here is something no real celebrity will ever tell you: film acting is not very fun. Doing the same thing over and over again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/here-is-something-no-real-celebrity-will-ever-tell-you-film-acting-is/)

[Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/)

> [Listen to everyone, read everything; believe absolutely nothing unless you can prove it in your own right!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-william-cooper/listen-to-everyone-read-everything-believe-absolutely-nothing-unless/)

[Milton William Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-william-cooper/)

> [What a delightful thing is the conversation of specialists! One understands absolutely nothing and it's charming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-degas/what-a-delightful-thing-is-the-conversation-of-specialists-one/)

[Edgar Degas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-degas/)

> [I go to practice every day. I really don't have a training camp. In the boxing world, and that's where that came from, almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-go-to-practice-every-day-i-really-don-t-have-a-training-camp-in-the/)

[Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/)

> [There is absolutely nothing that you desire that you cannot achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-is-absolutely-nothing-that-you-desire-that-you-cannot-achieve/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [What did Republicans get for 16 days of a government shutdown with people being hurt? We have absolutely nothing to show for it, other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/what-did-republicans-get-for-16-days-of-a-government-shutdown-with/)

[Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/)

> [Speak kind words to mankind and the unkind will attack you. Speak common sense using all your senses, and you will attacked by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/speak-kind-words-to-mankind-and-the-unkind-will-attack-you-speak/)

[Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/)

[Browse all 268 Absolutely nothing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely-nothing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Love, according to our contemporary poets, is a privilege which two beings confer upon one another, whereby they may mutually cause one another much sorrow over absolutely nothing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Honore de Balzac"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets-is-a-privilege-which-two/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Absolutely nothing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets-is-a-privilege-which-two/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/honor-de-balzac-197_absolutely-nothing_love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets_290963.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/honor-de-balzac-197_absolutely-nothing_love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets_290963.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/honor-de-balzac-197_absolutely-nothing_love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets_290963.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Love, according to our contemporary poets, is a privilege which two beings confer upon one another, whereby…” — Honore de Balzac",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Honore de Balzac",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Love, according to our contemporary poets,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets-is-a-privilege-which-two/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets-is-a-privilege-which-two/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
