How to Write a Love Poem - Haiku Love Poem

Writing a poem, particularly a haiku, even better--a love poem, for Valentine's Day or another special day, doesn't have to be too difficult. At first, for sure, it can seem a bit overwhelming. Instead of writing a full-blown poem, try your hand at the short haiku, that consists of only 17 syllables--yes, syllables--total!

You can write a haiku with a little practice. I'll give you the basic format and several examples to get you started. A haiku is fun to write; I think most people who have tried it would have to agree.

Here is the basic format. A haiku consists of three lines. Count out five syllables in the first line, seven in the second line, and another five in the third line. Yes, those aren't words per line, but merely syllables. What makes haiku so powerful is the amount of meaning crammed in such few words.

For a more thorough description of what a haiku is, check out this hub: http://bnoelle.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Write-a-beginners-Haiku

Now, a haiku by nature can be a bit mysterious, so start the first line with a description that doesn’t reveal the person. Add a longer description, as descriptive as you can get for the second line, then include the person’s name in the third line. Of course, you can put anything in any line as you wish. This is just a suggestion to get you started.

Chuckle, warm and rich,

Smile with sparkling eyes of green

You, my charming Mark

Or leave your valentine's name out:

Eyes of deepest green

Give me goose bumps every time

You, and only you.

Rhyme the first and last line of the haiku, if you prefer:

Days of light and dark

You’re always in my corner

You, my dear, sweet Mark

Or make all the lines rhyme:

Days of light and dark

You’re my lifeline; you’re my spark—

You, my dear, sweet Mark

Make your haiku specific to Valentine’s Day if you wish:

Not just on this day

But for each day of my life

Be my Valentine

So, do you think writing a haiku is simple enough? Try your own hand at haiku. To me, even though a haiku is comprised of only 17 syllables, creating a powerful haiku is a challenge. It is definitely harder than it looks, as it’s hard to cram all you want to say in just a few syllables or a few lines. If you want to say more, do more than one stanza and link several haiku stanzas together to make a longer poem.

When your haiku is complete, do something special with it. Write it in a Valentine’s Day card to your special someone. Another idea is to type up your haiku in a nice font—perhaps a script—and print it out on colored paper or other paper, perhaps decorative paper that has hearts or other such appropriate décor. Put your heartfelt haiku in a romantic frame and your gift is complete.

A poem is a gift that will last forever, always reminding the giver and receiver of that special day. A poem is a great gift, as it packs fewer calories than chocolates and lasts much longer than flowers.