By Faith-Marie McHenry
In our modern dating world, romance has been thrown out the window.
There’s an uptick in screen-time over tactile experiences like candlelit dinners, fresh-picked flowers, or handheld walks around a park. For Gen Z and Millennials alike, romance is dying. But we know a secret to revive it…
That’s right, poetry—specifically, the art of the love poem. As a self-proclaimed sap, I find myself writing and consuming love poems for much of my waking time (and wishing someone would write them about me, but that’s another story). Though most of us might find the act cheesy, cliché, or corny (there are so many ways to say it), we must admit that, sometimes, actions don’t have the same effect. Only words can suffice for certain feelings so robust, whether unrequited or not.
Think about it: how often have you caught yourself staring at a special someone, wishing you had the words to convey how much you adore them? Well, maybe you do! You’ll never know until you try to write them down. And it’ll be good practice for eventually saying them in person.
If you’re unsure what to get your lover for this Valentine’s Day, write them a poem. I dare you. I bet you’ll realize your feelings were more profound than you ever knew once you put them into words. Try writing in a world that has been overtaken by dating apps and instant interactions with human beings that feel as meaningless as scrolling past another 15-second video on TikTok. Put down something cliché if you’ve got nothing (there’d be no originals without the clichés!). Compare someone to a summer’s day.
Poetry forces you to tap into the heart; you’ll never know what’s in there until you try cracking it open with a pen. If you’re dreading this Valentine’s because you’ve recently fallen out of a relationship or are hung up on someone who doesn’t look back your way, writing your feelings down could be the best cure for sorting them all out.
And poetry doesn’t just have to be an act of loving someone else. I think it’s even more beautiful as an act of self-love. So, for all the single minglers walking past the heart-shaped chocolate box aisles with scowls on their faces, I dare you to look in the mirror and into your mind and write down all the beautiful things you see and find. You don’t need a Valentine to be loved!
Moral of the story: don’t be afraid to be a hopeless romantic. I know, we’ve heard the same lines again and again; roses are red and violets are blue… But as long as we’re human, it will always warm the heart to hear these three words from someone: I love you. So grab a paper and pen and put down your poetic, heartfelt twist on love.
Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy writing. ♡