by Allen Teal

Created on: September 11, 2008

How can I win her or his heart? Let me count the ways. This one worked for Browning, but it has been a little overused ever since. To write a truly effective poem, a person needs some remedial understanding of poetry. Without becoming to bogged down in the mechanics, a couple of quick reminders will serve to get most love sick poets moving in the right direction.

For those poets that are less creative and experienced, two major mistakes need to be avoided. The first one concerns the number of beats per line of poetry. The novice should try to keep these the same. This should at least be observed within each stanza. If the first line has ten syllables, try very hard to keep that number the same line after line. This will help keep the sense of meter feeling like it had a plan behind it.

Try to keep from going with overly short lines. Six or less syllables are not usually enough to express a complete thought in each couplet or quatrain. Plus, by running with longer lines, the temptation to slide into limerick mode can be eliminated. With beat counts up around ten or so, it is much easier to tell if the flow of the meter is working. You can hear the beat as you recite the poem. If it sounds smooth and emphasizes the right syllables, the poem is on target to sound like you meant to write it and put some work into it.

The second mistake to avoid is to not trash the rhyming scheme. Poets who lack experience and training are best served by poems that have either an "aabb" or "abab" type of rhyming scheme. This forces you to work a little harder to keep the rhyming working, but the outcome will sound good. Do not be afraid to rhyme words that are near misses. This is acceptable in poetry, but do not do it too often.

With the brief poetry lesson behind us, it is time to consider the content of the poem. Take time to write down four to six thoughts that you would like to capture in them poem. Each of these thoughts can generate two or more lines of poetry. For a short poem, two lines per thought will give you a nice manageable length.

Arrange the thoughts in order of importance or romantic significance. Often it is best to write the poem with the least important thought first and build toward the most important. By doing it this way, each line of poetry will draw your love deeper into your feelings. Make sure that each idea is easy to identify as the poem is read. Especially in a love poem, you do not want the reader or listener to miss the point and have to go back to understand the intent. Poetry may be better understood with more readings, but if you are going to impress your love interest, work hard to make the points clear.

Weave some personal information about the one the poem is being written to catch. This should be positive and complimentary. It should also imply that you have a deep understanding of the other person. At the same time, do not make it too fluffy and flattering. Things that suggest the recipient is warm, giving, and loving are good choices. Also, saying nice things about eyes, lips, and physical form can pierce the shield that protects the heart.

Finally, be careful not to go overboard with words of commitment too early in a relationship. In a more mature relationship, this type of wording would be quite acceptable unless you know that the person has expressed a different perspective. However, stating your level of affection at least moderately will add strength and depth to the verses. Let the poem sit for at least twenty-four hours before sharing it with the recipient. This will give you time to look it over and possibly improve it.

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