3 of 10

Write now Article Tools

It is not every writer who can or even learn how to write love poems. There are even established poets who write poetry on other subjects who would never attempt to write a love poem. Love poetry is a very specialised form of poetry and although it covers several sub-categories, it requires certain understandings by the writer in an emotional sense in order to write it effectively.

It may be debatable but the first qualification for a writer being able to write love poetry could well be that they have themselves actually experienced true love. It is often said of any type of writer that they should write about that which they know if they are to prove most effective and successful and the principal would indeed appear to apply to love poetry as much as any other form of writing.

The first type of love poetry is the type written by someone who has just fallen in love or who is at least still in a loving relationship. The first step for such a poet should be to think about how their loved one makes them feel. This should be performed as a true brainstorming exercise and every minute little detail recorded on a piece of paper or Word document for later dissection and deliberation.

The poet in this situation should then consider what it is about the person that they love so much. What features, characteristics or traits induces in them the feelings and emotions they have recorded as above. These points should also be recorded in a similar fashion and only when this has been done should the poet read through all their notes, pick the most pertinent ones and seek poetic inspiration.

The other side of the coin is where love is unrequited or where once it was but has now gone. This is of course a much sadder type of love poetry but can be easier to write as perceived negative feelings are often much more intense than positive ones. The poet in this instance is likely to be hurting and it will be the pain caused by their lost or unrequited love which provides them with the salient points determined by the process described above.

The difficulty for a poet writing a love poem of this type is that it is entirely possible that by so doing they will open up some old wounds which have partially healed. It may be best therefore to consider writing such a poem only when the hurt is fresh and see the act of getting the points down on paper as a form of therapy rather than a later form of recollection.

When writing a love poem, a writer should remember that there is absolutely no requirement for the poem to rhyme. This is a common misconception with many aspiring poets, who fall by the wayside simply through a lack of ability to find relevant words which rhyme with one another.

The process of writing a love poem is therefore one of two extremes: either a delightfully happy one or an incredibly sad one. The technical procedures may be the same but the poet should know that they are in the latter instance likely to put themselves through some suffering in the very act of writing their piece.

Learn more about this author, Gordon Hamilton.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to write love poems?
We want to hear your view. Write now!