Proposes that “being in love” is often preceded by separation or by an important object loss-real, imaginary or threatened or by one of the numerous losses of object representations that lead to melancholia. It is noted that the love & suicide motif is an old one in history & literature. The lover gives up life to prove worthy of being loved or to be united with the love object in death. It is also noted that the perfect compromise between love & death is sexual gratification.