Twenty Love Poems and A Song of Despair
So is it romantic or cringe-worthy to write a poem for someone? Would you be the type of person who was serenaded by a love poem? Or would you try to crawl under the table or laugh in someone’s face if they declared their undying love for you through the medium of a poem? Does it mean more than just saying something out loud? I personally think that if someone has taken the time out to write something for you, the least you can do is have it read to you, but if you're one of those people who just can’t hide a mocking smile then it’s probably not for you! There is something wildly romantic about someone thinking of words that describe you and how you make them feel. Having done this and the recipient laughing at my efforts, I am inclined not to write another; however I would not be opposed to getting one, just to know what it feels like to be on the receiving end.
It may not be done in a ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ fashion, read out loud in front of a classroom of students, but it could also be written in a card to ease the humiliation a little. Would this make it less embarrassing? Is it purely the reading of it that people often loathe? If you read it yourself it can mean you escape the glances, the puppy dog eyes and delicate holding of the paper that seem so often synonymous with this sort of thing.
Is it the embarrassment of you having never been told how you actually make someone feel in romantic language, unlike the usual ‘love you’ that couples tend to say to fill silences or tag on the end of conversation. If we are accustomed to hearing these two simple words, surely any embellishment is a shock to the system?
Some people are not rehearsed in poetry and may use language that is so far removed from their usual lingo that it causes a bad reaction. Would it be more preferable if it came from a professional poet? You are used to hearing them read out their other pieces, so it would not come as much of a surprise if it was from them, would it?!
Poems often draw on emotion that we just can’t verbalise in normal conversation. It gives us the time to stop and think about what we want to put together and the words we want to choose. It can be an expression of love that extends the mind and forces us to think about the person more abstractly and reaffirm why we are with them and why they are so important in our lives.
Any expression of love is one to be applauded, as we need more of it in the world, but is a poem just too archaic and something only to fantasize about? Do we want to read them or write them, do we want to be the recipient of one? Are there too many pitfalls with this kind revelation of love or secretly do all women want to be given one in their relationship at some point?
Writers have spent their lives dedicating themselves to love poetry such as John Keats and Carol Ann Duffy. So surely they are not that excruitiating if these notorious writers have opted to bare their souls to us over the years about their own romantic longings.
Female First Lucy Walton