  Poetry
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Who knows where the road will lead us
Only a fool would say,
But if you let me love you
I'm sure to love you all the way.
~~Lyrics from “All the Way,” by Frank Sinatra
We all want to fall in love. Why?
Because that experience makes us feel completely alive,
where every sense is heightened,
and every emotion is magnified.
Our everyday reality is shattered
and we are flung into the heavens.
It may only last a moment, an hour, or an afternoon,
but that doesn't diminish its value,
because we are left with memories
that we treasure for the rest of our lives.
~~From the movie “The Mirror Has Two Faces”
starring Barbara Streisand |
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“Oh no; not another love poem.”
Have you ever heard or read this statement? I think I have on numerous occasions. While many people grow weary of love poems, love poetry remains one of the spiritual and emotional staples in life.
My first poem was a love poem, written for my wife. At the time, we were dating and were both divorced after long first marriages. I wrote my first poem, a love poem, at the age of fifty-two, for the woman who is now my wife. I still write her love poems and she stills loves to receive them.
Try to push aside the censor, that demon who whispers “Not good” and “Don't dare say that” and “Who cares about your life?” Poets write about the same basic human subjects over and over. Your inner voice is one that has not been heard in the world before. Though there are thousands of love poems and death poems, your version will be new if you can catch you own sound... Anne Sexton said she sometimes wanted to write but didn't know what she wanted to say: “I will fool around on the typewriter. It might take me ten pages of nothing, of terrible writing, and then I'll get a line, and I'll think, 'That's what I mean.' What you're doing is hunting for what you mean, what you're trying to say.
~~Frances Mayes The Discovery of Poetry, A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems
Though millions of love poems have been written through time, your poem will be very special, because it is your voice. Never allow those who lack appreciation for love poetry to deter you. Love poetry will always have a place. A love poem coming from your heart, written in your voice, will be a unique love poem.
When I first began writing poetry, I thought the first draft of a poem was laid in stone, unchangeable. Now, it is rare that I am happy with the first draft of a poem. I compare it to coloring. As a child, I colored; as a father, I colored; and now as a grandfather I still color with my grandchildren. When you take up the crayon, rarely do you start coloring the picture first. Before coloring the picture, first you outline the picture (to help stay in the lines), then you select just the right colored-crayon and begin coloring. It is the same for me with a poem. After I write what I want to say, I begin to add color to the poem.
Here are some ways, suggested my Frances Mayes, for coloring the poem.
Words
What is the quality of the words in the poem? Are any overused? Are they fresh? Concrete? Abstract? If you ran your hand over the surface of the sounds, would they be smooth, rough, jagged, soft?
I check word usage in my poems frequently. I own a thesaurus and I'm not afraid or ashamed to use it. I also consult www.thesaurus.com often.
Voice
Is the poem anchored in a particular speaker's voice? Whose? What is the tone of the voice? Does the tone change? Who is the listener?
Images
How many senses are evoked in the poem? What are they? Is the imagery effective? ... Does the poem take place right here and now, or far away?
Movement
What is the activity of the poem? Look at the verbs: are they generally active or passive? Are the tenses consistent? Does the poem keep on moving? Does each stanza do different work from the previous stanza? Does the poem stay on track?
~~Frances Mayes, The Discovery of Poetry, A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems
(I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves to read and/or write poetry. It may be purchased at www.amazon.com)
A love poem is much like love. If not nurtured, love will not grow. A love poem needs to be nurtured, to be colored inside the lines. I raised four children and have five grandchildren – none of them colored exactly alike. As they grew older, their coloring became better and each picture was posted on the refrigerator for a time. So it is with our love poems. The more we write and read poems, the better we become and our love poems, neatly colored, will be dear to someone's heart.
Here is a well-colored love poem:
When You Are Old
When you are old and gray and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true;
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.
And bending down beside the glowing bars
Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And his his face amid a crowd of stars.
~~W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)
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Love Poems from around the site:
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Lou-Here By His Grace  
I like it! I just let words flow, because forced rhyme tends to ruin my writing!
njames51
Another wonderful newsletter. I really enjoyed the article on cliches, and as one writer who has a Poetry Review forum - it's very difficult for me to use "cliche" to a poet asking for help. I try to convey the message more gently.
The newletter about forced, inverted rhymes is also one I have to bite my tongue when people ask me for reviews.. It's difficult to say "You just changed this line so you could make the final word RHYME..........and it's a forced rhyme at that, or it has no connection to the piece at all.
Thanks for pointing out these issues, and poetic problems. The ideas shown here help me to be a better writer and a better reviewer!
Njames51
SHERRI GIBSON 
Your newsletters are always super, and this one is no exception. I've had the pleasure of reading most of the picks, and couldn't agree more that they deserve the recognition.
Just an Ordinary Boo!
I have been guilty of the crime of bending words to suit the rhyme, and "forcing" the image, just because I either liked that particular word, or could find none other to fit.
This brings me to another question, why when I write non-formal poetry am I criticised so much for lack of meter, or rhyme? Then when I attempt "formal" poetry it is either trite or clumsy!
Jyo
salliemoffitt
What a helpful topic about inversion. Sometimes it is so obvious it makes the poem seem silly. Mary Oliver explains poetry so well in her book that I keep a well-worn copy of it nearby at all times. She is one of my favorite poets! (e:bigsmile)
Great Newsletter,
Sallie
Tigger thinks of Prancer 
Great Newsletter!
I never had a word for "inversion" either and appreciate having a name to put with this occurrence and a reminder to be careful about it!
monty31802
What a newsletter! It is just too fine
Featureing a poem and contest of mine.
Seriously Larry you always do a great job.
lavonne
I love this newsletter. Everything in it is very helpful. In my personal thought is that poetry is a wonderful way to express your inner thoughts. If the authors heart leads to use of a "cliche" then I think its okay. But it shouldnt be forced. It will come natural.
GabriellaR45
Larry, I read every word with great
pleasure. You really hit a home run
with this newsletter. I especially
enjoyed your discussion of "inversion"
What a great and incredibly useful
editorial ! I'm sure all of us who
are still beginners will benefit.
You've done a remarkable job with the
newsletter, Larry. Thank you for your
hard work and the wonderful outcome.
Warmest best, Gabriella
therooster 
Niiiice!
alfred booth, wanbli ska
An excellent Newsletter this week, Larry. You have some great advice and well describe the difficulty found in inversion which plagues a lot of poetry. Thanks for sharing the common misconception that inversion is "poetic."
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Poetry: November 21, 2007 Issue [#2076]
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