So, you want to write love poetry. You are aspiring to become a love poet, but you don’t know where, or how to begin? Let’s look at some basic thoughts and ideas, with respect to writing creative and original love poetry.
How about brainstorming? Playing with words, or developing the art of brain storming first, is an excellent way for potential love poets to begin writing love poetry. It can be a lot of fun, as there is no limit to the different kinds of love poems that can be written. You can use brainstorming techniques to help you write effective love poetry.
Begin by writing down the word “love”. Now play with the word for a while, as word play can stimulate your mind and trigger some fresh ideas.
The words you choose to use are important. For example, the word “love” can arouse your thought processes in such a way that you, as the potential love poet, become aware of the concept of “love”, complete with a whole gamut of undiscovered thoughts, feelings and passions.
Maybe you think that there is nothing happening? What comes to mind initially, may feel like a big void or a total absence of thoughts about “love”. Don’t give up, as that often happens to love poets. This may be a mental block, that you need to overcome.
Perhaps you have not formed any concrete thoughts or ideas yet. Abstract thoughts may be present, but hidden deep within the recesses of your mind. Relax, as in the emptiness, that seems to be a void of nothingness or total darkness, you may suddenly find the light of inspiration.
Perhaps you need to arouse your love poetry muse. Muse of mine, it’s time to wake up and come to life!”
Think positive thoughts about love.
Use the expression “I love” and do some serious brainstorming. You are looking at the word “love” subjectively this time. Perhaps you were looking at it, from an objective perspective earlier and that actually caused a mental block to occur.
As you brainstorm, personalize your ideas. Pen the words, “I love.” Write down every single word that you can think of, that relates to the expression, “I love”. See yourself, as actively engaging in the process of brainstorming.
This is fun! You never know what will come out of all of your efforts, but expect to see something amazing happening.
For example, the expression “I love,” may bring up vivid imagery, related to nature. For instance, “I love roses.” Let your words flow freely and uninhibited.
At this point in your love poem, the words that you use, don’t have to have any distinct relationship to each other. They do not need to be headed in any definite direction either. Just write them down. You can link them together with lines or circles, if that makes it easier to tie your thoughts together. Be aware that words don’t always have to be tied together. If you are going to expand these ideas later, connect them for now.
As you write down what you are thinking, you may find that some of these words, concepts or expressions, appear to be very positive, while others seem to be negative. That really does not matter, as that combination brings “color” and “life” into your thoughts.
Opposite thoughts or ideas, often enhance each other. Color would be opposite to no color, or the absence of color. Life would be opposite to no life, or the absence of life. Color brings life into your love poetry. The word “color,” as it is being used here, does not necessarily refer to any actual color as such, but colors can be incorporated into what you are writing.
For example, “I love red roses” may be contrasted with “I don’t love the thorns.” Now you can begin to see the light side and the dark side of words that are related to the expression, “I love.” Using “I love” in contrast to “I don’t love” would be working with opposites. Red roses and thorns are different aspects of the same object, but they are not opposites.
Where there is a positive thought about something, you may have a negative one also. Capture both of them, because they have been given to you for a reason. You may not necessarily comprehend what they are signifying or saying to you.
Gradually begin to build your love poem, one step at a time. Entitle your first efforts at writing a love poem, “Love”. You can expand upon that title, or change it at a later time, when your poem comes together for you. .
Love
I love.
I love roses.
I love red roses;
I don’t love the thorns.
Now begin to develop your thoughts about roses further. Ask yourself, what direction you want to take your love poem. Do you want to talk about just one rose or all roses?
Do you want to write your poem in free verse form? Or, do you want your poetry to have rhyme? The choice is entirely up to you. Many love poets can write in rhyme, but rhyme is not an essential element in love poetry. It does enhance the musicality of your poetry. What is important is that you express what you are thinking, feeling or reacting to, in your own words.
A word of caution may be in order here. Don’t waste your time trying to re-write some one else’s love poetry. Instead, create a brand new poem of your own. Let what your poetry states, be your original thoughts. That way you can put your name on your creative work and claim it as your own.
Pin this down to a single rose. Use adjectives or expressive words, to describe what you are beginning to see in your mind’s eye. Maybe your mind is wandering a bit? Perhaps you are rambling in your thought processes.
“Rambling” is an excellent word to use to depict a rose, so why not use “rambling rose” in your poem? Perhaps you want to use other, more descriptive and expressive words, as well. Use some action words too, as they will help to bring your love poetry to life.
A rambling rose,
The perfect, sweet scented,
Rambling rose of June,
Gently touched by one dewdrop,
Quivers momentarily,
Knowing it is loved.
Can you see this love poem coming to life and telling a story? It is a love story, with a difference. When you begin projecting your own personal, subjective thoughts and feelings about love, onto the rambling rose or something else in poetry, you will find that you are well on the way to becoming a love poet.
Now take this even further and bring a person into the picture. Deep in your heart and mind, you can probably think of someone who you can usher in, without betraying any of your personal thoughts, feelings or desires.
Standing on the fragile doorstep of time,
A tall, but kindly man,
Sprouting a gray beard,
Tips his hat
As if to say, “Good morning,”
To the waking world,
Deep within the heart of the rambling rose;
“I will give you to my love.”
The rambling rose graciously nods its head;
The dew drop falling to the ground, like a tear;
The rambling rose aware that in consenting,
Its time has come.
“You are beautiful and you are loved,”
He explains to it tenderly,
As he severs its life line
With a firm, but gentle cut;
“If my pain was to endure, I’d surely die.”
“My love will live on through you.”
“You have given me a perfect, rambling rose;”
“I will not bore you with my thorns.”
Now you see that an element of tension has been added to the story. This is combined with the tenderness of love and humor of word play. There are valid emotions expressed as sadness, pain and fear become linked in free verse. The loose ends are gradually being tied together, but they don’t necessarily have to be. Love poetry can be open ended, allowing a “forever” clause to surface.
The rose hip lives on,
If you hang the rose upside-down to dry
And plant it.”
You could leave an open-ended love poem for your reader to speculate upon, indefinitely.
Now take everything you have written and put it all together, as one poem.
Love
“I love.
I love roses.
I love red roses;
I don’t love the thorns.”
A rambling rose,
The perfect, sweet scented,
Rambling rose of June,
Gently touched by one dewdrop,
Quivers momentarily,
Knowing it is loved.
Standing on the fragile doorstep of time,
A tall, but kindly man,
Sprouting a gray beard,
Tips his hat
As if to say “Good morning,”
To the waking world
Deep within the heart of the rambling rose;
“I will give you to my love.”
The rambling rose graciously nods its head;
The dew drop falling to the ground, like a tear;
The rambling rose aware that in consenting,
Its time has come.
“You are beautiful and you are loved,”
He explains to it tenderly,
As he severs its life line
With a firm, but gentle cut;
“If my pain was to endure, I’d surely die;”
“My love will live on, through you.”
“You have given me a perfect, rambling rose;”
“I will not bore you with my thorns.”
“The rose hip lives on
If you hang it upside-down to dry
And plant it.”
“I will see you again,
Love, beyond the rose and thorn.”
Here, you see some tender moments between the rose, which has come to life and the man who has severed its stem. A third party enters the picture, as the rose is given to the person for whom it was intended. It is as if the rose and the man are both saying goodbye, in some way. But love is gentle and always leaves hope for the future.
Now check and see if your title is appropriate for your poetry. If not, add whatever is needed to it, in order to bring it to an effective conclusion, or simply change it, so that it reflects what you are trying to express, more appropriately. If your poetry reveals something beyond what you expected, you have succeeded in becoming a love poet.
Quite often, the very last line of your poem is perfect for the title. Or, it can be incorporated into the title, in some way. It may bring an element of surprise and wonder that arouses the curiosity of the reader, right from the very beginning.
Now, re-read your poem. As it is written, does it need to be revised, because of the sequence of events? Go back over it and make certain that all of the events are in proper sequence. Check for typos or errors. Read and re-read it, until you are satisfied that it flows the way you want it to flow, when it is read. Usually, it is a good idea to read your love poetry aloud, at least once.
Ask yourself if your love poetry really sings. If not, re-word it in such a way that it does sing, but keep your thought progression intact throughout your poem. Introduce musicality into your love poetry, because your reader will sing it in his or her mind, as it is read.
What one must ask, in this love poem, now entitled “Love, Beyond The Rose And Thorn”, if the one fatal flaw for the rose, is its perfection.
These are just a few thoughts and ideas about word play and brainstorming, in conjunction with writing love poetry. Playing with words is fun and so is brainstorming!
In fact, brainstorming is an art!
