Short Poems About Love

When we look at those writers who have penned epic stories, hundreds, maybe even thousands of pages long, we think about what great writers they must be. And in truth, it does take great skill to develop a story to the point that it remains interesting to read after the first hundred or two hundred pages. Although being skilled at writing many words is often considered the standard by which to compare authors, there is a different level of skill displayed by those who are capable of expressing complicated thoughts and ideas with but a few words. In fact, some may consider this to be a much more challenging task, as it demands concise and precise sentences, perfect word choice, and creative expressions, all coupled with brevity. Then, to add to the difficulty of the task, consider putting this short writing in the form of a poem! Now that becomes a much more challenging assignment.

Untitled
by Gabor Timis

Why short poems? There could be several reasons. One of the more prevalent is that the writer may have little space on the page, or little time to recite a poem about their feelings toward someone special. Perhaps if one is making a romantic greeting card, the space is limited. It’s one thing to create your own card, but it’s even more impressive to that someone special if you can write your own short love poem to express your feelings. And if you’re nervous or your memory is not what you’d like it to be, writing a short poem is easier to recall. And those short, thoughtful expressions are more meaningful if that someone special can remember them the following day. Here is one poet’s thoughts regarding a romantic relationship.

The Taste
by Hershel B. Geouge

Love is likely the most discussed topic among poets. Who else, then, would better represent the ideal romantic poet than Sir William Shakespeare himself. Without a doubt, Shakespeare probably wrote more on the topic of love and romance than any other playwright, author, or poet of his time. Some may even consider that Shakespeare’s writings are the standard by which all other romance and love poems can be evaluated. His classic story, Romeo and Juliet, has been performed as a play and as a movie thousands of times over, and there have been a multitude of adaptations and scripts based on the popular theme. While he is well known for this, and other lengthy writings, Shakespeare also prepared several shorter poems in which he discussed the topic of love and romance. One poem in particular has received countless reviews and analysis by students and critiques combined. In his Sonnet 141, Shakespeare goes through an extensive list of what he sees regarding the woman he is involved with. Even though he is unable to find anything “special” about her, he realizes that his affection for her exists nonetheless. In the end, he is left with the realization that she has some apparent quality that the senses are unable to detect, and that he pursues her because of it.

Sonnet 141
by William Shakespeare