As it’s getting close to Valentine’s day, you may be feeling that intense panic that usually crops up this time of year, so I thought I’d help you out!! Valentine’s Day is all about showing your love in a way you don’t usually show it, and as everyone who’s ever watched a romantic movie knows, nothing says “I Love You” like a romantic, heartfelt poem. Not a poet, you say? No worries! I'm going to give you some pointers to help you write a love poem that will have your spouse bragging about you for weeks :) .
Pointer #1: To Rhyme or not to Rhyme…that is the question!
The first thing for you to decide as you sit down and write your poem is whether or not you want it to rhyme. Contrary to popular belief, poetry doesn’t have to rhyme!! Like most great works of art, there doesn’t have to be a sense of structure for the heart of the piece to shine through. Here’s an example:
Down a winding road we walk.
Gently as the breeze I hold your hand.
We talk of things to come and things of the past.
All the while, our hearts becoming one.
Sounds good, right? The way to answer this question is deciding what feels or comes more naturally to you. Poetry is all about feeling and flowing. So do what comes naturally.
Pointer #2: Keep the content authentic. Write about things that you really do love about her and about your relationship. Are you excited about your future together? Are you thankful that you’ve stuck together through hard times? Use those things as your inspiration and write it out!
Pointer#3: Organize your thoughts into stanza's. Stanza's are ussually 4 lines connected by a thought. if you are rhyming, a simple stanza consists of two alternating rhyming lines ie: I love my cat, his name is tom, tom is fat, but i'm his mom! So, if you want to write about how you guys met, how happy you are that you're married, how she makes you feel, and how your excited about the future then you've got four great stanza's lined out!
Pointer #4: Don't feel like you have to write a lot. While 1 stanza may seem understated, 15 stanzas begins to sound like the Declaration of Indepence. I would suggest keeping your poem around 4 or 5 stanzas.
Pointer #5: When in doubt throw in a metaphor. Do you love the way she laughs but don’t know how to fit that in a poem? Ask yourself what you consider the most beautiful sound in the world (besides her laugh) and compare her laugh to that. For example:
“You’re laugh fills my heart like the sound of a thousand fans cheering”
Hey, at least she’ll know it was you who wrote it! This leads me to my next point:
Pointer #6: DO NOT and I mean DO NOT copy a poem and say you wrote it. She will find out. You know she will. And no amount of love poems will dig you out of that hole, my friend.
Pointer #7: Presentation matters. As tempting as it may be to type this love note up and print it on Grade A Recycled paper, it might be a nice touch to hand write it on some “special” paper. Also, consider how you want to deliver the poem to her. Think about your wife and consider what would mean the most to her. Does she like getting surprise notes from you? Sneak the poem into her briefcase for her to find at work! Does she like big to-dos? Deliver the poem on a silver tray during the candlelight dinner you made her and read it to her on one knee! A good rule of thumb in the world of presentation is: Go Big or Go Home.
Pointer #8: It truly is the thought that counts. So your poem doesn’t sound like Shakespeare and the rhymes don’t make perfect sense….trust me, if you focused on what you love about your wife and y’alls life together, your poem will make her swoon. The fact alone that you took the time to sit and think about what she means to you will mean a lot to her. So be bold, step out, do something you would never in a million years think to do, and write your love a poem.
Good Luck!
