How to Write a Love Poem

Guide Note

What better gift is there to give the one you love than a poem straight from the heart. Some of the greatest poets throughout history immortalized their love in the form of poetry, and you can too. Even if you don't consider yourself much of a writer or poet, read on for some tips on how you can put pen to paper and create a few heartfelt and meaningful lines to let your sweetheart know just how much you care.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Step 1: Poetry Basics
• Step 2: Form
• Step 3: Turning Feelings into Words
• Step 4: Writing
• Conclusion
• References

Love Poem Tips

1. Learn about the basics.
2. Research different forms.
3. Brainstorm your emotions.
4. Choose a form you feel comfortable with.
5. Start writing.
6. Revise and cut out any unnecessary words.
7. Present to your true love.

• by Jenny Hudock

Introduction

(Creative Commons photo by Samiksha K)

• Love. This emotionally entangled muse has been at the center of poetry since the earliest verse was first sung. Through the ages, great poets such as Geoffrey Chaucer, John Donne, Lord Byron and Dante Rossetti made poetic tribute to love everlasting, and William Shakespeare immortalized his lover with a full collection of sonnets.

• Fortunately, you don't have to be a master poet, or even a poet at all, to pay tribute to the one you love. There are several types of poems you can try, from some of the more structured and difficult poems like sonnets, villanelles and sestinas to the less strict free verse poem. No matter which style you choose, the most important part of your poem will be the words you use to say, "I love you."

Step 1: Poetry Basics

(Creative Commons photo by Sylvie L)

• Love has been a part of poetry as long as it has been written. The Hebrew Song of Songs has been interpreted as a song of love by both Jewish and Christian scholars alike, and while Homer's Iliad was an epic tale of war, it was love that motivated the men of Greece to launch their ships toward Troy in an effort to retrieve fair Helen.

• Despite it's long evolutionary history, there are a few common elements of poetry that have been established and maintained throughout the centuries:

1. Meter: In poetry, meter is the structure and beat in each verse.¹ It contributes to the poems notable sound and feeling.
   • Example: one of the most popular meters in English poetry is iambic pentameter, which means there are five stressed syllables in ten beats, like daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM.²
2. Rhythm: Closely related to the meter, the rhythm is established by word timing and the placement of specific accentual syllables.³
3. Repetitive Sound Patterns: Created by devices such as rhyme, alliteration, assonance and consonance.^{3 4 5 6 7} Each of these devices is designed to influence the sound of the words and can be used in conjunction with the meter and rhythm.
4. Structure and Appearance: Both can play an important role in how the poem is read and interpreted.
   • Example: Since we're specifically writing love poetry, you could shape the lines of your poem into a heart to emphasize the meaning you're trying to convey.

• While the above aren't strictly required, adding a little rhythm and rhyme to your poem is a simple demonstration of how much time and thought you put into the actual writing of the poem.

Step 2: To Form or Not to Form

(Creative Commons photo by Kjunstorm)

• As mentioned earlier, there are dozens of different forms of poetry that you can try your hand at, from complicated and strictly structured, to freer and more fun types of verse. Here are just a few of the options available to you:

1. The Sonnet: A fourteen line poem made up of four quatrains and a couplet that follows strict rhyme and meter
2. The Villanelle: A nineteen line poem that follows a repetitive line pattern
3. The Acrostic: A poem made up of the letters of a word or name that reflectively describes the subject
4. The Ode: A lyrical poem in celebration of a person, place or event that follows specific meter and rhyme based on historical tradition
5. The Haiku: A three line Japanese form that follows a 5-7-5 beat pattern and reflects on nature.
6. The Limerick: A bawdy, lyrical poem that follows a strict meter and rhyme pattern
7. The Sestina: A thirty-nine line poem that repeats a series of six words in a strict, pre-meditated pattern
8. The Epic Poem: A storytelling form of poetry that follows a specific meter and rhythm depending on the historical tradition
9. The Couplet: A rhyming, two line poem that can make up several stanzas, stand alone or be used to enhance other types of poems, like the Sonnet, for example
10. The Cinquain: A five line poem that breaks down line by line into a specific metrical pattern
11. Free Verse: A poem with no particular requirements for rhythm, meter, structure or rhyme

Step 3: Turning Feelings into Words

(Creative Commons photo by Shahril Affandi Radzali)

• You know how you feel. You may have even taken time to say it to your loved one, but putting those words onto paper is where a lot of people come into trouble. Here are a couple of tips to help you draw out the depth of your emotion:

1. Spend some time freewriting and brainstorming about your love and your relationship together.
2. Be honest and truthful with yourself when writing down your feelings.
3. Write a page of prose describing your feelings.⁸
4. Ask yourself questions like:
   1. What makes your love worthy of your affection and devotion?⁹
   2. Are there any moments or events in your relationship that really stand out?¹⁰
   3. How do you feel when you and your love are apart?¹¹
   4. What would if feel like to never see that person again?
   5. What makes your loved one special and unique?¹²
5. Make a list of adjectives that describe your loved one. You can get really creative with this and go beyond the basics.
   1. Is she soft like a cloud to the touch?
   2. Is he a solid foundation, like a rock you cling to against stormy times?

Step 4: The Writing Part

(Creative Commons photo by Daylight.)

• Once you feel like you've got enough material to work with, it's time to turn those emotions into poetry. Here are some basic writing tips to get you started:

1. Read as many love poems as you can find to get a feel for the types of language and wording they use.¹³
2. Make sure you focus on your loved one, not yourself, in the poem.¹³
3. Use examples of your experiences together.¹³
4. Don't worry about whether or not anyone beyond you and your love will understand the things you reference. As long as the two of you get it, that's good enough.¹⁰
5. After you have a rough draft, read over and pick out any words or phrases that really stand out. You can use them to get even deeper to the root of how you feel, or make them into a repetitive refrain.¹⁰
6. Keep the language simple. There is no need to use complicated language.¹¹
7. Don't be afraid to omit any useless words or phrases that don't seem to work.⁸
8. Be honest and truthful in every line.¹²
9. Do your best to say "I love you" without using those exact words. Anyone can say I love you, so it'll mean more if you can find another way to say it.
10. Put all of your effort into it no matter what. It is the effort itself that will shine through and touch the heart of your love.¹²

• When you feel that you have the perfect draft, and you've said everything you want to say, you can write it out in longhand, or type it up using a fancy font. You may even consider having it matted and framed before you present it to your loved one.

Conclusion

• When you present this work of art from the heart to your loved one, you may want to consider reading it aloud so you can watch his or her face for a reaction you'll want to treasure almost as much as they want to treasure your poem. Remember, you don't have to be the perfect poet, or an expert in the ways of rhythm and rhyme. Heartfelt emotion and genuine effort alone will be enough to show your sweetheart just how much you love and cherish them.

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References for How to Write a Love Poem

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Meter
2. ↑ Wikipedia: Iambic Pentameter
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Wikipedia: Poetry
4. ↑ Wikipedia: Rhyme
5. ↑ Wikipedia: Alliteration
6. ↑ Wikipedia: Assonance
7. ↑ Wikipedia: Consonance
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} WikiHow: How to Write a Love Poem
9. ↑ Nova's Poetry Haven: How to Write Love Poems
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} eHow: How to Write a Love Poem
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Everything Valentine's Day: Writing a Love Poem
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} Valentine's Day: How to Write Love Poems
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2} WikiHow: How to Write a Love Letter or Love Poem

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