Shakespeare may be the first person who comes to mind when thinking of love and romantic poetry. However, don't be daunted by his "darling buds of May" or "music [that] hath a far more pleasing sound." You, too, can write good love poems! (A brief note: when people think of a "love poem," they usually think of a poem that describes a romantic love, so that is what we will concentrate on here, but there are certainly plenty of "love" poems that describe the love one has for a child, or a sibling, or a close friend, to name only a few.)

In order to get a good grasp of what successful love poems look like, you must first arm yourself with the proper reading material: great love poems! Shakespeare is a decent start, but don't limit yourself. Poets like e.e. cummings (check out the classic "somewhere i have never traveled"), John Keats ("Bright Star" is a lovely one), and Gwendolyn Brooks ("To Be in Love" is a favorite), describe love in fresh, original ways. Once you feel you have read enough to understand the difference between good love poetry (Li-Young Lee's "From Blossoms) and bad poetry ("Roses are red, violets are blue") you can begin writing.

As you write, there are a few things to keep in mind that may seem obvious, but are worth addressing:

1. Hopefully, before actually writing a love poem, you know the person about whom you're writing! Either way, you need to identify the kind of love you experience with this other person. That is, is this a long-term relationship or a new crush? Is there a strong underlying friendship or is the attraction purely physical? Is this a mutual love or is your love unrequited? Asking yourself these questions will allow you to more easily create a clear voice and tone. For example, the tone of a poem describing unrequited love will most likely be pained and sorrowful, rather than carefree and uplifting.
2. Avoid clichs. This doesn't just refer to the words and phrases you use (for example, "love is a red, red rose"), but also the content of the poem itself. Stay away from common themes, at least until you get a grasp on how to do it well. (An example of this is how writing about flowers in "From Blossoms" works in a unique, precise way, whereas a poem using flowers and a phrase like, "your love makes the flowers bloom," is vague and unoriginal not to mention clich). This segues nicely into another important note
3. Be specific. To attempt to capture every facet of your experience with the "object of your desire"

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