“I Loved You First: But Afterwards Your Love. . . ” by Christina Rossetti. [1] X Research source “Flirtation” by Rita Dove. [2] X Research source “I Love You” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. [3] X Research source “Having a Coke with You” by Frank O’Hara. [4] X Research source
Ask yourself, How does the author approach love and what being in love means to them? Do they use imagery, description, and detail to illuminate their sense of love and romance? What type of form does the writer chose for the poem and how does this contribute to the poem overall?
For example, the poem “Flirtation” by Rita Dove uses two line stanzas and breaks up the text so one stanza flows into another. She uses the free verse form to show how flirtation happens in small, short bursts, much like blocks of text broken up on the page. In contemporary poetry, free form and free verse poems seem to be the most popular right now. [6] X Expert Source Alicia CookProfessional Poet Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
An alternate rhyme: Often, this rhyme follows the pattern ABAB, where the first and third line rhyme (A) and the second and fourth line rhyme (B). This rhyming pattern may then be repeated in each stanza or section of the poem. Rhyming couplet: This form has two line stanzas that rhyme and may be placed in pairs or added at the end of a stanza. The rhyme scheme could be “A,A,B,B,C,C,. . . ” Ballade: This form has three stanzas with a rhyme scheme of “ABABBBCBC”, followed by “BCBC”. Feel free to use internal rhymes, too—not all rhyming poetry needs to end on a rhyme. [8] X Expert Source Alicia CookProfessional Poet Expert Interview. 11 December 2020. Use rhymezone. com to find plenty of rhyming words. Just type in the word that you want to use, and see what other rhyming words it brings up. The site also suggests near rhymes, or words that sound similar without actually rhyming. [9] X Expert Source Alicia CookProfessional Poet Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
Another simple visual form is to make an acrostic poem, where a row of vertical letters going down the page spell out a word, phrase, or maybe your boyfriend’s name. You would then use each letter as the first letter of a line or phrase in the poem. [10] X Research source
Maybe you can more easily recall your first date with him or your first kiss. You may decide to focus on the details of these other firsts. Using a first meeting or first kiss memory in the poem will make it feel more personal and specific to the two of you.
You may focus on his excellent personal qualities and traits, such as “good listener”, “kind heart”, “supportive”, or “generous”. You may also consider why you value these traits about him. Maybe you appreciate his ability to listen because you find it difficult to listen to others and you admire his genuine interest in people. Or, maybe you valued his support at a particular time because you needed him and he was there for you.
Be specific when you describe this memory. Focus on sensory detail, such as what you both were wearing in this memory, where the memory occurred, and any smells or sounds in the setting of the memory. You should also try to describe facial expressions and body language, such as your boyfriend’s smile or your laugh.
You may focus on one specific memory where you made a mistake or your boyfriend made a mistake and you both worked through it together. Or, you may talk about having to maintain love from a distance or away from your boyfriend and how you made it work. The idea is to highlight a memory that shows how strong and powerful your love is, and how much stronger it is going to be in the future.
If you want to use a rhyming scheme, try to choose one that does not use a lot of rhyming. Too much rhyming can sound sing-songy and make your poem sound a little cheesy or silly. Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s poem “I Love You” is a good example of using rhyme to create a romantic poem that does not feel cheesy or overdone. [17] X Research source
Simile uses “like” or “as” to describe something, such as, “My love for you is like a big red rose" or “My love for you is as beautiful as a big red rose. ” Metaphor uses direct comparison to describe something, with no “like” or “as” such as “My love for you is a slice of cake. " In general, metaphors as used more often in poetry than similes. Try to come up with unique similes and metaphors, as this will make your poem sound more unique and specific to you. Rather than say, “your love is like the wind”, for example, you may choose a more specific metaphor like, “your love is like my favorite food”.
For example, rather than describe being away from your boyfriend during a hard time as “full of loneliness and sadness”, you could delve into a specific memory of loneliness or sadness during that time. You may say, “I remember long nights of listening to you on the phone and missing the smell of your hair, I remember waking up to an empty room and aching for your body, warm and sleeping beside me. ”
There are many cliches around the theme of love and relationships, from “roses are red” to “dreaming of you” to “you make my heart swoon”. Try to replace these familiar descriptions with ones that are specific to you and your boyfriend. For example, if you and your boyfriend love pizza, maybe you could try to use as many pizza related descriptions as possible, from “your love is as essential as my favorite pepperoni pizza” to “I love you more than Ranch dipping sauce”.
As you read, you may want to mark up the poem and note any awkward lines or words. You can then edit the poem for clarity and tone, focusing on the sections you have marked.
