Most Ardently...

Pride and Prejudice for the hopeless romantic

Hi there,

It’s me again.

I want to spend a few minutes of your time yapping about Pride and Prejudice and the lost romance of yearning. Do you have time?

Perfect.

I remember reading Pride and Prejudice as a 16 year old, it was the first ever classic my hands laid on. Rereading lines, pages even, because it took me so long to grasp any real understanding of the text before me. It was a lot heavier than I had imagined it would be, but I knew that would be the case going into the realm of Classics.

It was the first time, truly, where I read something that reflected how much of a hopeless romantic I was. And obviously, it’s an enemies to lovers story. Who doesn’t enjoy those? I still remember my fine point ink pen in hand, underlining;

“You have bewitched me body and soul.”

I was quite literally, giggling and kicking my feet. I couldn’t wait to experience that kind of yearning love when I was older. It fed my little romantic heart so much, every line, every page; engraved itself into my soul. I never forgot the way that book made me feel, how it opened up a gateway for my love for Classics.

There was brief time in university, where I grew to loathe the book. Now bear with me. I began to criticise Austen - a bit too heavily - on how anti feminist the book was, when it had pioneered ‘feminism’ at the time. I no longer saw what was remotely feminist about Elizabeth Bennett. She had turned out to be a hopeless romantic, nonetheless.

It was much later on that I understood. That it wasn’t because she fell in love that the book holds feminist values, it was because of Darcy. He saw her as an equal. Made whatever was wrong, right, just for her. It was the way he loved her and respected her that made this novel such a feminist icon. Austen introduced us to the yearning man.

Now, I cannot talk about Pride and Prejudice and NOT mention the 2005 film adaptation. In my eyes, that film is flawless. Not a single thing I would change about it. The cinematography, the way they captured the golden English landscape so perfectly. The score?! Oh the score!! Dario Marienelli to this day, remains to be one of my favourite composers, he captures emotion so beautifully. The tracks ‘Liz on Top of the World’ and ‘Mrs. Darcy’ are my favourites.

There are so many little small moments in this film that speak quite literally a thousand words. One of the most notable moments being the hand flex. We all know about Darcy’s hand flex. It’s one of the greatest moments in cinematic history. Quite literally nothing captures the concept of yearning so perfectly.

Love like theirs - no matter how fictional - is so rare to come by now. That level of yearning is so lost on us. And I would want nothing more than to bring it back.

There is such a fine line between nonchalance and yearning. The former feigns blissful ignorance. Chooses to actively act unbothered, without a real care in the world. Whereas the latter, ah well, nothing quite matches the feeling of yearning. To be so in love, and so easily affected by someone. It’s a wonderful feeling. At least, I like to think it is. I’m yet to experience such an emotion.

The digital age and social media have truly ruined romance and chivalry. Nothing ever feels…real. Or permanent. Everything feels transactional and like plastic. I wish to see a time where true romance revives itself once we get tired of letting social media control our lives.

Over the years, through loving and hating Pride and Prejudice, I have come to realise it’s one of those bodies of work I will be forever attached to. It’s also one of the reasons my standards are as high as they are. I wish for a Darcy and nothing less in all honesty.

The scene of him professing his love for the first time at the Temple of Apollo, in the rain, is one of the most breathtaking scenes in declarations of love across cinema. I have had an itch to tattoo ‘most ardently’ into my skin for years.

But what about that scene of him walking in the field, through that beautiful morning fog, shirt unbuttoned, long casual overcoat; Darcy had never looked so damn good!

It’s a shame we grew up to realise what Elizabeth and Darcy have is a fairytale. There was nothing more crushing realising, love was nothing like this in real life. So, a special thank you to Jane Austen, Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden for setting my romantic standards so high.

We do not yield! I still like to believe my Darcy is out there somewhere. Because I quite frankly won’t accept anything else.

And for the love of God, bring back yearning!!!! It makes experiencing love so much more magical.

Loving you all…most ardently.