In Farid al-Din Attar's 'Conference of the Birds', the tale of the lover who fails to notice a physical flaw in his beloved's eye for five years serves as an allegory for the nature of intense devotion. The narrative illustrates that profound love blinds the lover to the imperfections of the beloved. It is only when the man's affection diminishes that he finally perceives the defect. The beloved responds that the flaw became apparent to him not because she changed, but because his love waned. Attar uses this story to demonstrate that critical fault-finding and the perception of worldly blemishes only emerge when spiritual passion and complete devotion begin to fade.