Look at this sample of a love poem from a girl of marriageable age, to a boy (age 19) who is to be marrying her soon:
I love the man that loves me/ he that lives two houses from me/
For his wife shall I be/ and he my husband, in eternity to be/
Every day from his house/ walking therefrom him, gently, I see/
Know I now today that/ to my father, he hath paid the marriage-fee/
I have seen him, over the casement/ over my windows o’er the basement/
Yet he has not seen me, or my face/ for it is his duty, to be unknown, to my case/
He has not seen me, with his beautiful face/ his eyes are not upon mine/
For it is his duty/ to wait for my father’s consent and his sign/
He has eyes that are deep as the sky/ his eyes that are as black as the sky/
His hair is of a similar colour/ like my mother and my grandmother/
It is as spilled ink flows from its jar/ and wedged into a ball and stretched far/
His complexion is mild and pale/ like newly found silk that hasn’t become stale/
His attire is the statement of his might1/ and the luster of his sleeve is as bright/
Solemnly, his hair units with his robe’s hue/ kept dazzling, and moreover new/
He stands as tall as I am, so far as I could tell/ and often frankincense2 doth he smell/
Not too tall*, and nor too short/ nor as stout, as a fort/
His sleeves do fit him perfectly/ six inches pass his wrist, and to his knee/
His skirt is folded a hundred times/ the scarlet made shining through the limes/
His tips of his shoes just showing through/ the embroidery on the soles that too/
His borders3 a contrasting crimson/ and the pattern, created from linen/
His body is thin, as should I think/ for indeed shows through not a clink/
His speech is mild and soft/ for I could not hear him from my loft/
The only thing that I do gladly hear/ is the clashing of his jade4 when he draws near/
His bows are deep/ and about with civility do they leap/
1: "might" refers to his social standing
2: probably not, but a similar scent
3: borders on his robes, mainly on collars and sleeves
4: jade pendant, with loose pieces that hang from the belt
As you will see, in Themiclesia in the classical era (1400 B.C. ~ 450 B.C.), boys are considered attractive if they have:
- Dark eyes
Dark hair
Pale skin
Thin frame
Average height (not too tall or short)
Correct attire
Good social standing
Mild complexion
Mild speech
Discretion and courtesy
The standards for girls are largely identical.
So, NS, what is considered attractive for males and females in your nations?
