What is love anyway?

I was thinking about love and what it actually is. In countries that believe in arranged marriages, they think romantic love is deceptive and short-lived - and that two people should grow into love for it to be true and authentic. Pop songs and film make you believe that love is the butterflies, chemistry and sexual attraction you feel when you are first together. Also some poetry/songs make out you don't even realise you were in love until it is gone = see Roxette "Must have been love". Does this mean love is transient and unattainable? Perhaps. What about the platonic love you feel for friends and family and pets? It is definitely not as passionate as romantic love but you could argue it is more solid or stronger. I do think love can come and go and I also think there is eternal and fleeting love. I have definitely thought I was in love in the past - many many times, on looking back maybe half of them I did love and not ever really in every way. I perhaps loved the idea of them, their company, their looks, their friendship, bur perhaps not everything at the same time. It is also said you cannot love another person properly until you fully love yourself. I would somehow agree with this, but then you do have to learn to love yourself and only through experimenting with love do you realise what you will and won't accept in a partner. Falling in love is breath-taking, yes that is why all the songs are written about it, but staying in love, that takes real skill, perseverance, work, patience and luck.