Courtly Love
Courtly Love was a conception of love, which became a central theme of lyric and epic poetry in France and England. The philosoply of courtly love is made manifest in works like: Chrétien de Troyes's Lancelot (12th cent.), Guillaume de Lorris's Roman de la Rose (13th cent.), and Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde (14th cent.).
Books About Courtly Love
Courtly love is an idealized loved celebrated in the literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The noble knight devotes himself to a lady. Courtly love also involves a code of conduct for lovers. Read more about courtly love.
Chivalry and Courtly Love
David Simpson, from DePaul University defines courtly love: "Properly applied, the phrase l'amour courtois identified an extravagantly artificial and stylized relationship--a forbidden affair that was characterized by five main attributes."
The Story of Launcelot: The Lady of Shalott - Bulfinch
Read "The Story of Launcelot: The Lady of Shalott," by Thomas Bulfinch.