151. Valentine&#x27;s Day

Cicero

So the plot of it is that Chaucer is reading a book by Cicero, The Dream of Scipio.

For this was on St. Valentine's Day when every fowl cometh there to cheese his make of every kind that men think may.

Oh, Lonely Hearts. Some very, yeah, kind of spiritual Lonely Hearts book.

Episode summary

Happy Valentine's Day! Have you ever wondered why we send each other cards and go out to Carluccio's for dinner on a weeknight? In today's episode, Tom and Dominic drill down into the details - what are its origins? Why were 'Vinegar' Valentines so brutal? And what was an optician's role in Al Capone's St Valentine's Day Massacre? Join The Rest Is History Club for ad-free listening to the full archive, weekly bonus episodes, live streamed shows and access to an exclusive chatroom community. Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor *The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*: Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in London, New Zealand, and Australia! Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook

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Cicero

The host discusses how Chaucer's poem 'The Parliament of Fowls' references Cicero's 'The Dream of Scipio' and its con…

The host discusses how Chaucer's poem 'The Parliament of Fowls' is significant for its early mention of elections and…

The host mentioned 'Lonely Hearts' in the context of a touching book found in a church in Dublin where people can exp…

The Young Man's Valentine Writer

The host mentions 'The Young Man's Valentine Writer' as a historical reference to the evolution of Valentine's cards…

Rubicon

Tom Holland

The host mentions 'Rubicon' to highlight a brilliant description of the Lupercalia festival, which is tied to histori…

Thomas Hill's book of...

The host mentions Thomas Hill's book as a source for understanding the etiquette of letter writing in the context of…

The People's Post

The host briefly mentions 'The People's Post' while discussing the history of the postal system and its impact on com…

Chaucer and Valentine's Day(1)Chaucer's influence on romance(1)history of Valentine's cards(1)Lupercalia festival description(1)Valentine's card history(1)Valentine's Day history(1)Victorian Valentine's traditions(1)

Book mentions7

Media mentions0

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Answers to common summary, books, and takeaway questions for this episode.

What is 151. Valentine's Day about?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for 151. Valentine's Day on The Rest Is History.

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What are the main takeaways from 151. Valentine's Day?

These are the strongest takeaways surfaced by the transcript, summary copy, and linked mentions for 151. Valentine's Day.

The conversation centers on Chaucer and Valentine's Day.
A second recurring theme is Chaucer's influence on romance.
Referenced books include The Dream of Scipio by Cicero and The Parliament of Fowls.
The strongest audience signal points to Literature enthusiasts and students of history and Literature enthusiasts and students of medieval poetry.

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Which books are mentioned in 151. Valentine's Day?

The Dream of Scipio by Cicero, The Parliament of Fowls, and Lonely Hearts are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Passing Reference(5)Deep Dive(2)

Audience signals

Literature enthusiasts and students of historyLiterature enthusiasts and students of medieval poetryIndividuals interested in romantic literature and Valentine's Day traditions.History enthusiasts and those interested in Valentine's Day traditions.History enthusiasts and readers interested in Roman cultureReaders interested in historical romance and communication

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Cicero

Best for Literature enthusiasts and students of historyOften cited around Chaucer and Valentine's Day

“Chaucer is reading a book by Cicero, The Dream of Scipio. And he falls asleep. Scipio appears to him, leads him up through the celestial spheres.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Chaucer and Valentine's Day

For: Literature enthusiasts and students of history

Key quote: “So the plot of it is that Chaucer is reading a book by Cicero, The Dream of Scipio.”

The host discusses how Chaucer's poem 'The Parliament of Fowls' references Cicero's 'The Dream of Scipio' and its connection to the origins of Valentine's Day. This exploration highlights the literary and historical significance of the poem in relation to romantic traditions.

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Best for Literature enthusiasts and students of medieval poetryOften cited around Chaucer's influence on romance

“The Parliament of Fowls is an interesting poem. It's the first poem that actually mentions the word election in the sense that we use it now of kind of choosing someone to represent you politically.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Chaucer's influence on romance

For: Literature enthusiasts and students of medieval poetry

Key quote: “For this was on St. Valentine's Day when every fowl cometh there to cheese his make of every kind that men think may.”

The host discusses how Chaucer's poem 'The Parliament of Fowls' is significant for its early mention of elections and its connection to romantic themes. This poem serves as a backdrop for understanding the evolution of Valentine's Day and its literary roots.

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Best for Individuals interested in romantic literature and Valentine's Day traditions.Often cited around Valentine's Day history

“There's a kind of statue of Valentine looking kind of razy-cheeked. But there's a book there, and people can write if they're unhappy in love or if they're looking for love. Oh, Lonely Hearts.”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Valentine's Day history

For: Individuals interested in romantic literature and Valentine's Day traditions.

Key quote: “Oh, Lonely Hearts. Some very, yeah, kind of spiritual Lonely Hearts book.”

The host mentioned 'Lonely Hearts' in the context of a touching book found in a church in Dublin where people can express their feelings about love. This reference highlights the sentimental aspect of Valentine's Day amidst discussions of its commercialization.

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The Young Man's Valentine Writer

Best for History enthusiasts and those interested in Valentine's Day traditions.Often cited around Victorian Valentine's traditions

“In the same year, 1797, somebody publishes a book called The Young Man's Valentine Writer, a manual about how to write nice Valentine poems.”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Victorian Valentine's traditions

For: History enthusiasts and those interested in Valentine's Day traditions.

Key quote: “there's actually, in the same year, 1797, somebody publishes a book called The Young Man's Valentine Writer.”

The host mentions 'The Young Man's Valentine Writer' as a historical reference to the evolution of Valentine's cards and poetry. This book served as a manual for writing Valentine poems, reflecting the growing popularity of Valentine's Day in the late 18th century.

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Rubicon

Tom Holland

Best for History enthusiasts and readers interested in Roman cultureOften cited around Lupercalia festival description

“There's a brilliant description of this, actually, in your book, Rubicon, isn't there?”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Lupercalia festival description

For: History enthusiasts and readers interested in Roman culture

Key quote: “There's a brilliant description of this, actually, in your book, Rubicon, isn't there?”

The host mentions 'Rubicon' to highlight a brilliant description of the Lupercalia festival, which is tied to historical figures like Mark Antony. This reference serves to illustrate the wild and chaotic nature of ancient Roman celebrations.

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Thomas Hill's book of...

Best for Readers interested in historical romance and communicationOften cited around Valentine's card history

“The excerpt references a letter writing manual from Thomas Hill, discussing how to write to someone you love at first sight.”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Valentine's card history

For: Readers interested in historical romance and communication

Key quote: “I cannot, of course, hope that I've created any interest in you, but will you do me the great favour to allow me to cultivate your acquaintance, as that's from Thomas Hill's book of...”

The host mentions Thomas Hill's book as a source for understanding the etiquette of letter writing in the context of romantic correspondence. This reference highlights how societal norms around communication evolved with the advent of the penny post.

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The People's Post

Best for Listeners interested in postal history and Valentine's traditions.Often cited around history of Valentine's cards

“I commend to the public my own audio book on the history of the post office called The People's Post.”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: history of Valentine's cards

For: Listeners interested in postal history and Valentine's traditions.

Key quote: “I commend to the public my own audio book on the history of the post office called The People's Post.”

The host briefly mentions 'The People's Post' while discussing the history of the postal system and its impact on communication, particularly regarding Valentine's cards. He highlights the book as a commendable audio work that explores the evolution of the post office, which is relevant to the topic at hand.

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Find on Amazon

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The Dream of Scipio

The Rest Is History · 14:46

So the plot of it is that Chaucer is reading a book by Cicero, The Dream of Scipio.

The Parliament of Fowls

The Rest Is History · 14:14

For this was on St. Valentine's Day when every fowl cometh there to cheese his make of every kind that men think may.

Lonely Hearts

The Rest Is History · 30:01

Oh, Lonely Hearts. Some very, yeah, kind of spiritual Lonely Hearts book.

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Pick up the books after you hear them in context.

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Mentioned at 14:46

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Cicero

The host discusses how Chaucer's poem 'The Parliament of Fowls' references Cicero's 'The Dream of Scipio' and its connection to the origins of Vale…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 14:14

Check price Jump to mention

The host discusses how Chaucer's poem 'The Parliament of Fowls' is significant for its early mention of elections and its connection to romantic th…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 30:01