In the 12th century, literacy among women increased. Although literacy in Latin was still somewhat limited to specific social classes, literacy in local vernacular languages was increasingly common. Eleanor of Aquitaine established the city of Poiters as a center for a literary movement focused on the art of courtly love. The troubadour and the female counterpart, the trobairitz, used poetry to share stories of romantic longing and unattainable love. 

This poetry represents the beginning of written expressions of love in the way romantic love continues to be perceived today. As the poetry of the troubadour or trobairitz was recorded, it was written in the vernacular of the day. In fact, the word romance derives from the word romans, the old French term for the vernacular language specific to the region. Having poetry and prose in the vernacular of the people allowed a much wider audience to access this romantic literature.

Initial Post: prepare 100 words within the Discussion Board responding to the following problems. Create a substantive and clear post expressing your research, thoughts, and ideas:

Discuss common characteristics of romantic or courtly love poems.
What are your reactions to these expressions romantic love?
Does the content of the poetry surprise you in any way? 
Please be sure to include academic sources to support your information.

Response Posts: Create a 100-word response to at least 2 of your fellow classmates by replying to their Initial Post regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. Please consider the following problems when responding:

Do any of the student's statements make you reconsider your position? If so, which ones made you change your mind?
If not, what additional points can you make to directly refute your peer's statements?
What did you learn from your classmate's posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting? 
In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.