The Allegory of Love studies the medieval literary tradition known as courtly love. C.S. Lewis published the book in 1936, and its full title is The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition.
Lewis examines how medieval and Renaissance writers represented love, especially through allegorical figures and conventions. The book discusses major authors and works, including Ovid, Chrétien de Troyes, Dante, and Edmund Spenser.
The phrase “courtly love” describes a literary and cultural ideal in which love is often portrayed as refined, difficult, secretive, and connected with service to an admired beloved. Scholars debate how closely this literary convention matched actual medieval social practice, so the term should not be treated as a simple description of everyday relationships.
Lewis’s study helped establish his reputation as a serious literary historian. It is distinct from his later popular works, although both his scholarship and fiction show a continuing interest in myth, allegory, and the development of literary forms.