This unique study is the result of the combined efforts of six eminently qualified scholars of medieval literature. Through intensive analysis of the major genres -- lyric, romance, allegory and fabliau -- the authors trace the evolution of the fascinating and complex phenomenon known as "courtly love". The authors do not attempt to explain the historical origins of courtly love -- avoiding the controversies that have resulted in conflicting and confusing views -- but rather are committed to exploring its presence and meaning in medieval texts. The collective approach to courtly love is also innovative in its elucidation of facets of the concept hitherto overlooked: the subtle and complex relationship of the poet and the audience, for example, and the paradoxical rejection and subsequent affirmation of courtly love by the German poets.