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Love Has a Complexity, Multiplicity And Diversity of Expression

A look at the best love poems ever written, triggers the question, "What does love poetry signify for the contemporary era? To this question, one might only respond, "Love has a complexity, multiplicity and diversity of expression."

At best, each and every love poet, throughout the entire course of history, has been given only a fragment of love's expression, to share in the form of poetry.

Here are some facts to take into consideration.

* No single love poet can ever claim the exclusive title of love poet.
* No single love poet can claim to have ever written the best love poem in the world.
* No single love poet has ever written love poetry, that contains all there is to know about love.

This is all good, but where exactly does this leave the contemporary love poet?

The contemporary love poet is in the best position of all poets.

"Why is that?"

The horizon for future love poetry has not been closed. There is still room for further expression of love, in the form of love poetry.

Let's look briefly at some of the characteristics of the best love poems ever written.

1. The best love poems ever written, express love in a way that reveals the reality that love as a topic for poetry, has actually diminoed. In other words, it has stood the test of time, even while poetry written on other diverse topics, has fallen by the wayside, like dominoes that lean upon one another. When the first one falls, the rest all follow suit. A dimino, on the other hand, comes into existence from what appears to be non-existence. Love poetry, as a dimino, stands alone.

2. The best love poems ever written, reveal love in its complexity, multiplicity and diversity of expression. In other words, there are two identical love poems. Historically, each one that has survived the test of time, has stood based upon its own merit. It is totally unique in itself. Perhaps in some way, each poem acts as a stepping stone for the next one.

3. The best love poems ever written, show the true reality of love, as they do not depict pseudo-love, or false love. They depict the true nature of love and may expose pseudo-love, in some way.

4. The best love poems ever written, also show a degree of revelation that some consider as divine. Others attempt to negate its divinity. Love, allows itself to be revealed in love poetry.

5. The best love poems ever written, magnify love rather than the love poet. In fact, some of the best love poems ever written, have unknown authorship.

6. The best love poems ever written, show the reality that love lives on. It may be temporarily smothered, or covered over in some way, but it cannot die. Life is a part of the nature of love, just as love is a part of the nature of life.

What this suggests for contemporary love poets, or for any future love poets, is the reality that love poetry does serve a purpose. Love poetry is written to magnify love. It also has a future. Those who aspire to write love poetry, will probably succeed in their quest, as long as their love poetry magnifies love.

Perhaps someday, someone will write the best love poem. Maybe it will be you? You may not be remembered, even while your poetry passes through the generations of time.

The scope of love is so huge, that no love poet can ever hope to contain it all within one poem. What the contemporary love poet can do is to capture, in his or her love poetry, that fragment which has been allotted to him or her. It should be preserved and added to the greater picture of love as a whole.

Learn more about this author, W. Diane Van Zwol.
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