In narratives like Juan Ramón Jiménez’s Platero and I , the donkey (Platero) is a confidante. The "romance" here is platonic and poetic—a man sharing his deepest thoughts with a creature that offers silent, non-judgmental acceptance. 3. Satire and the Subversion of Romance

In Ancient Rome and Greece, the donkey was a comic figure. Apuleius’ The Golden Ass (2nd century AD) is the only surviving Roman novel entirely in Latin. In it, the protagonist, Lucius, is transformed into a donkey due to a magic spell gone wrong. While in asinine form, he witnesses numerous acts of human cruelty and lust—but notably, the story explicitly avoids romanticizing a human-ass relationship. Instead, Lucius endures being forced to copulate with a wealthy matron in a public spectacle, a scene meant to convey horror and humiliation, not romance.

For a more romantic and mystical storyline, European fairy tales like Donkey Skin

Donkeys are deeply tied to the land. A man’s bond with one can symbolize his connection to his roots or his rejection of modern, "sterile" technology.