Haven Hereford - Change 3 - Social Change: manners and morals

Courting and other rituals have changed greatly even in recent memory.  We enjoyed recalling the rules and etiquette applied by our parents/society only a few years ago and asked ourselves whether we'd have made good Victorians. 

Even earlier Burns was expressing tradional values very sweetly:

Robert Burns. 1759–1796

503. A Red, Red Rose

O MY Luve 's like a red, red rose
That 's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve 's like the melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune!
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,	5
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry:
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;	10
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only Luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,	15
Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

In the 20th Century Dorothy Parker had a new approach:

One Perfect Rose

Dorothy Parker

A single flow'r he sent me, since we met.

   All tenderly his messenger he chose;

Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet

   One perfect rose.

I knew the language of the floweret;

   'My fragile leaves,' it said, 'his heart enclose.’

Love long has taken for his amulet

   One perfect rose.

Why is it no one ever sent me yet

   One perfect limousine, do you suppose?

Ah no, it's always just my luck to get

   One perfect rose.