The words of love. Expressive devices for lovers in pain

The paper analyses the literary topic of nāyakanāyikābheda, being the typologies of lovers which were catalogued in traditional treatises and widely explored in Hindi Rīti Kāla compositions. Particularly, the poet Keśavadāsa dedicated to this item some chapters of his treatises on poetic devices called Rasikapriyā and Kavipriyā. This study will be focused on some expressive devices recommended to lovers, mainly to the ones suffering for the pains of love. Some stanzas from Keśavadāsa’s works will be analysed in connection with some precious miniatures from the Rasikapriyā appearing as an artistic device in a work on poetic techniques, producing a double expressive effect.