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11 months ago in English Literature , Literature By Kirti

How common is the expression of a lover as one’s “other self” in early modern English poetry?

Early modern poetry often links love and identity.The phrase “other self” appears philosophically loaded.I want to know whether this was a widespread trope or a selective conceit.

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By RobertMug Answered 9 months ago

From my experience studying Renaissance poetry, the idea of the lover as an “other self” is conceptually common even when the exact phrase is rare. I have seen poets draw on classical friendship theory and Neoplatonism to frame love as shared identity. I would recommend reading this trope broadly, across variations in language, as it reflects early modern anxieties about selfhood, union, and emotional dependence rather than a fixed verbal formula.

 

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