"Ford's characters speak in courtly love-jargon, pen and recite love letters and poems, woo in extravagant conceits, and carry on debates and similitude contests; they become involved in secret loves and disguises and despair over unsatisfied desire."
In the narrative, Ford's characters express themselves through elaborate poetic language, writing love letters and poems, using grandiose expressions to win hearts, and engaging in intellectual games of wit and comparison. Their romantic pursuits often involve secrecy and disappointment.