Love is as old as mankind itself. But what is it? The Oxford Dictionary describes love as, among other things, "an intense feeling of deep affection or fondness for a person.'' Down through the ages men and women have expressed their love, verbally or in writing, according to their preferences and abilities. Some have waxed tender and lyrical, while others have been basically blunt.

Literature is filled with the subject of love. Poets, playwrights, authors and philosophers have all committed to history thousands of words on the subject.

They have addressed undying love, unrequited love, departed love, resurrected love, and every other emotional permutation on love there is.

With Valentine's Day approaching, Taste takes a look at the language of love, then and now.

In the nineteenth century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning penned the famous words: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight, for the ends of Being and ideal Grace.'' Today, there is a Valentine card which says: "How do I love thee? Let me count your money.'' The Bible contains a passage: "Love covereth all sins.'' Which is just as well, considering this greeting card message: "It's Valentine's Day and I have a little something special for you -- the hots''? And speaking of hots, this is how the 1995 lover expresses burning passion in a greeting card: "A single thought of you can catch the rest of me on fire. A spontaneous combustion at the mention of your name.. .Let me burn my lips on the inferno of your kisses, my hot-tabasco lover. Let me set myself aflame.'' Which is a far cry from Shakespeare's day, when his lovers Romeo and Juliet expressed their passion as thus: "How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears.'' And, as the lovers took their leave: "Good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say goodnight 'till it be morrow.'' Meanwhile, try matching this Valentine card promise: "I'm going to give you a big bare hug (nope, I didn't spell it wrong)'' with another of Shakespeare's responses: "This is the very ecstasy of love.'' Nineteenth century poet Matthew Arnold urged: "Ah love, let us be true to one another! For the world which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams, so various, so beautiful, so new, hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light''.

One hundred years later, a greeting card writer puts it this way: "Pretend there is a movie, and in that movie we are the stars and we fall in love. And after we fall in love we are separated. There are many troubles (perhaps the world is on the brink of war) for months or even years. At last the struggle ends. The music starts. I am in your arms, the rain stops, a train leaves, and we kiss after the busy crowd moves by. In all the confusion of worlds gone wrong, the noise and destruction of push-comes-to-shove, I hold in my heart, like a prayer, like a song, The one certain truth I believe in -- your love.'' The red rose has always been a symbol of love, and was immortalised by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in this economical statement: "My love is like a red, red rose.'' Today's greeting card writer thinks it sounds better this way: "Something in you called to the rose in me, and I opened, petal by ruby-red petal, to sit smiling in your sun.'' While the tanning rays of love beat down, think about this contemporary reggae rhyme: "Love be so crazy, love be so wild, talk like de poet, laugh like de child. Head be all dizzy, heart be on fire, burnin' alive wit' de flame of desire. Feet want to boogie de whole night through, Love be so crazy cuz I love you.'' In Juke Box Love Song by contemporary poet Langston Hughes, another lover yearns to feel the beat beneath his feet: "...Make a drumbeat, put it on a record, let it whirl, and while we listen to it play, dance with you till day -- dance with you my sweet Harlem girl.'' And so does the jazzy gent dancing with his heartthrob on this greeting card: "I'm so glad you're my Valentine because you're such a cutie, but baby that's not all -- you've got one fine booty.'' Ah yes, in the language of love the beat goes on, by card or by letter, by poem or prose.

While one Valentine uses lengthy articulation to cover inarticulation with this nonsense: "I would write you a love letter, but there's not enough paper to write down everything wonderful about you...there aren't enough pencils or pens or ink to put down how you make me feel. ..there aren't enough hours or days or lifetimes to describe all you mean to me...I would write you a love letter but I can't'', Alfred, Lord Tennyson had no trouble dispatching his thoughts in The Letter, which said (in part): "Where is another sweet as my sweet, fine of the fine, and shy of the shy?...Go, little letter, apace, apace...Tell my wish to her dewy blue eye...Somebody knows that she'll say ay!'' Even if people think you're incompatible, there's no reason not to be in love, as this ode to myopia indicates: "Love is creating a dream meant for two, love is believing that dream will come true...some people would say you and I are opposites, but I like to think of us as perfect complements to one another. When I look into your eyes I see how perfectly our two lives fit.'' Back in the sixteenth century compatibility was also an issue, but playwright Lope de Vega saw it this way: "Harmony is pure love, for love is complete agreement.'' Which goes to show that, just as there are countless definitions of love itself, so too are there myriad ways to speak the language of love. Perhaps this 1995 pocket guide for husbands will help: "Flowers mean: I care for you.

Chocolates mean: You're sweet. A card means: You're special. A big wink means: You're neat. A nibble means: Come closer. A cuddle: You're the one. A sign means: How I need you. A long kiss: Let's have fun. A jewellery gift means: You're the woman I've been dreaming of. But turning off a football game: now darling, THAT means Love.'' DEAR VALENTINE -- Letters and roses are as much a part of today's language of love as they were in this painting, entitled The Love Letter, by French artist Jean Honore m Fragonard (1732-1806).