This course traces the origins of contemporary conceptions of romantic love in works of literature and popular culture drawn from a wide range of historical periods and cultures, extending from ancient times to the current day. In studying how people all over the world have thought about love in different eras, students will gain a sense of the development of human thinking about emotions across time and space and will learn to appreciate continuities and differences between various cultures and time periods. Through thinking and writing critically about love, this course will provide students with a new perspective on this all-important emotion.