Главная страница «Первого сентября»Главная страница журнала «Английский язык»Содержание №6/2004

YOUTH ENGLISH SECTION

 

Love Is...

Here you can see what the pupils of the 8th grade of Moscow School No. 814 think of love.

Love is one of the strongest and greatest human feelings. Love has moved people since the days of Adam and Eve. Love is a bright feeling. Love of one’s nation, love of one’s homeland, love of one’s parents, love of one’s family, love of one’s friends are all holy love. Love can change: people’s fate, even countries’ fate. We know that even a king of England refused his crown for love. Lovers in all the world celebrate St. Valentine’s Day as a day of love.
Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?
The history of Valentine’s Day – and its patron saint – is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men – his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
According to another legend, Valentine actually sent the first Valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl – who may have been his jailer’s daughter – who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today.
St. Valentine’s Day, 14 February, has been celebrated in Europe since the 13th century, in USA – since 1777, and in Russia – since 1990.

Victoria Kucheruk

I think that love is the most important and the most beautiful experience. It is impossible to describe this feeling by words. It’s necessary to feel it.
A lot of songs, poems and films were written about love. Many poets wrote their best poems when they were in love. Love inspired them…
Love has got a special holiday – Valentine’s Day. On this day people send Valentine cards with their declared feelings.
The Valentine card became very popular in Victorian times. In those days, cards were sent anonymously so the young men could keep their identity secret from their sweethearts’ strict and disapproving fathers. To this day, people love the mystery and surprise of receiving an anonymous Valentine card from a secret admirer.

Elena Guseva

If your girlfriend comes to you and says that she has met a beautiful boy and talks about him for a long time, it means she is in love.
Every day Liza told many interesting things about Kolya. In the evening she was seldom at home.
But her mother didn’t forbid her to spend time with him. Liza was happy. Though they often argued, afterward they always made up.
For two years they have been going together and aren’t going to part. “This is Love” – said all their friends.

Dasha Aleshina

I consider that love is the cause of life.
At first God created the first man – Adam. Soon God created a woman – Eve. And only owing to love between Adam and Eve did life result and the beginnings of human descent.
When people live in love they take care of one another and they live happily.

Anna Efimova

 There are a lot of feelings and terms between people, but in my opinion the most intense sense is love.
Everybody knows about the story “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare. This story about two young people: a girl and a youth, about their acquaintance and love Romeo Juliet were from two different families. There was a hostility between their kin. Their chance meeting become the cause of big and intense love. This story is very tragic, because it finishes sadly. Both Romeo and Juliet perish.
This story is famous for its interesting and tragic plot. There are many films and plays based on this work.
I think, there is no precise definition for love. Everyone understands it in their own way.

Dasha Grinkina

Love… Many people ask: “What is love like?”
I think that love is a very beautiful feeling. When you love somebody, you try to please him/her, therefore people often do many good things. You can read many things about love in the Bible.
“But now are there three: faith, hope, and love; but love is the greatest of all.” (1 to Korinfenese 13:13)

Alexander Abakumkin

 I think that love is something very difficult to explain. It is what people feel in their hearts: not only man to woman, but also mother to a son or daughter. But everyone thinks about what it means: “Love”. Love is when you are happy with another person and you think how to make him/her happy. Love can cause different emotions: such as gladness, tears, happiness, cheerfulness, grief and disappointment. And it is a very wise proverb: “From love to hate is one step!”

Nastya Borisova, 9th grade