The Quill and the Heart

Welcome to the Quill and The Heart

2015-06-28T15:38:00.000-04:00

Hello fellow romantics, poets and poetry lovers. Thank you for visiting my blog.

I am an incurable romantic and have been for most of my life. Within these pages you will find the rantings and sometimes comedic thoughts of a frustrated romantic male. Deal with it!

I have also been writing romantic poetry for most of my life. If you are a poet struggle to write with a romantic theme, in this blog you will find advice that I hope will help you express yourself in the way that you have always wanted to, to put your heart on paper. If you are still reading then it means that you have a desire to write what you feel, but don’t know how. I will teach you how to put your feelings to pen and parchment and you will find that with a little work it is easy to write beautiful flowing poetry that not only touches your heart, but also the heart’s of those who read it. I have a page for my romantic poetry, my favorite published poets and will be adding a page for my favorite subscriber’s poetry. Whatever your reason for being here, be it to learn how to write down your feelings, or just to read some beautiful words, I thank you for visiting my blog and hope you will visit often.

P.S. Please send me your own romantic poems for posting in my subscriber poetry section. (gordmerritt@hotmail.com)

Just so you are not confused, I am not writing from the future lol... the date of this post is so that my welcome message stays at the top of the list....

ciau for now

Gord

Love, Race and Religion... still the biggest barriers of all... why?

2015-03-03T18:38:00.001-05:00

Race, religion and love... why is it still a conflict? I fell in love. So deeply in love I could not stand the thought of being without her. I believed the words.of the immortal Nat "King" Cole... "When I fall in love, it will be completely... or I'll never fall in love. When I give my heart, it will be forever... or I'll never give my heart... and I did fall in love, I did give my heart. but religion and race tore her from me and left me devastated. I am Caucasian, she was East Indian... She was Christian, I am not.. Why should it matter? It didn't when we met... it didn't for three years, it didn't until I got on my knees and asked for her heart forever. Suddenly it mattered... she told me she would love me forever... she lied. She loved me until it became uncomfortable... til it became hard. She loved me until others objected, then she denied me...that is not love. Love is not that selfish, love is unconditional, love overcomes all obstacles. Love is... sublime. I still love her, I will never stop. It does not mean that I will never love again, it means that I kept my promise to my heart... when I fall in love, it will be forever. Just Sayin...

My book of Poetry is now available on Kindle

2015-01-25T10:50:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone... it has been a busy time. Not much time for blogging. My sister was diagnosed with cancer so it has taken up a lot of my time getting her on the road to recovery. I just want to let everyone know my book of Poetry "Pieces of Me" is now published and available on Kindle at amazon. I have it introductory for $ .99. Please support and leave a review! Thanks for reading.

Gord

New Poet

2014-11-04T21:06:00.000-05:00

I would like to welcome the newest member of my Subcribers Poetry Section. A warm welcome to David Flynn. I have added 5 poems submitted by David, please give them a read... Click on the "subscribers poetry" tab to find David's poetry...and have added his Bio as well.. please feel free to submit your own poetry to be posted here, and tell your friends.

cheers... Gord.

Love is like a peach tree...

2014-10-20T03:10:00.001-04:00

When most men or women look at the tree of love, they only see one thing.. they look way to the top and see the "perfect" peach... there are ripe peaches all around them but they only see one. They climb and struggle and reach and pull until they finally have it in hand, and then they bite... and the fruit is bitter and hard... and they cannot believe it, and so they wait and bite again... only to spit it out.. and they cannot believe that something so beautiful, that they worked so hard for could not be what it seemed... and yet they passed by so many fruit which were ripe and ready to be picked... because some were to dark, and some to light, or to fat or too thin... some on the ground which were a little bruised or damaged... but sweet to taste and soft to touch. But they still look upward to find the perfect fruit, when it is all around them.

just sayin...

Match me... Love on the internet? Not sure it is for me

2014-10-20T00:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I broke down. I signed up for internet love. Let a computer find me someone, hell it doesn't seem like I can do it myself anymore. I don't go to bars anymore, or very, very rarely... and when I do I wish I hadn't. I don't have the patience I once had to wade between the drunken morons and the stumbling women... people too incoherent to string 3 syllables together let along have an intelligent conversation. "If it is too loud, you are too old..." well perhaps it is time to admit I am too old. Don't get me wrong, I love a good time out with friends and will dance my ass off to AC/DC... but wading through the drink til you vomit crowd is getting tiresome. I love my friends, we have fun... but my friends have been my friends for 30 years, and their friends have been my friends for 20 or 10... we are a large group, more like family...so even at parties, it is the same people. So online I go... my friends have met people online... my family have met people online, why not me?
Ok so first... lets make a profile... no I don't think every person out there needs to know what my income is, or what I do for a living... no answer... and the biggy SMOKER! Well lets do what everyone else does... yes but trying to quit... hell I have been trying to quit for 10 years... only now I really do want to.
Ok so everything filled out... find me a match. First view, first profile, first email... I am impressed. She is pretty, I like her profile and I take the plunge.... now you wait. I get back to my inbox and I have another email from a very pretty woman in East York... not too far... she sends me her personal email and messenger in the first email ALARM BELLS going off... but she seems intelligent and really sincere, so I email back and tell her, would rather get to know each other here first... and the response... like a form letter including "love drives down the coast" reiterating contact me at my private yahoo email. What coast would that be... the coast of Lake Ontario? Since then, 100 winks, favorites, likes this photo... all from women in the US or China... all under 40... all saying in their profile they want to meet someone within 50km of where they live...

Don't get me wrong... I want to find someone to love... I almost need, to find someone to love. I am losing me... the me that wants to write, to sing, to dance. I am missing the most important thing... inspiration. She doesn't have to love me at first site... but when you look at someone, and they look at you... and there is a spark... it sets you on fire. I don't care if you are a man or a woman... when you are attracted to someone, you feel attractive... hell you feel bulletproof. Your heart beats fast, your hands shake and even though you look totally cool on the outside, your hormones are break-dancing.

But here I am digital dating, I can't see their face, can't look in their eyes, can't hear their voice... and lets face it,,,, I could be talking to a sweet transvestite from transexual transylvania ... Give me the old days... when I can see and hear and hopefully lean in for a first kiss... for now I will wade through the winks, and pokes and hints... and wait to hear from the one who so far has made my hormones break-dance. But I hardly think that I am the only one she is talking to... and I am pretty sure that someone else is "so much cooler online" than I.

Just saying...

Subscribers Poetry... New addition....

2013-04-09T02:33:00.000-04:00

I would like to welcome my first subscriber submission of poetry. A warm welcome to Christopher Thor Britt. I have added six poems submitted by Christopher, please give them a read... Click on the "subscribers poetry" tab to find Chris's poetry...and have added his Bio as well.. please feel free to submit your own poetry to be posted here, and tell your friends.

cheers... Gord.

2013-03-20T03:36:00.002-04:00

I have read too many things in this day and age that lead me to believe that romance is dead. Or, shall I better state that women think that men are not romantic anymore. I wonder now if this is true, or is it that the social network and public opinion are much more accessable than ever before.
I am much more inclined to believe that men are men as much as they were before... there are gentlemen and there are scoundrels (for lack of a more tactful word, for I am a gentleman.) I am also inclined to believe that women have not changed much in their view of men. Woman and men are both initially attracted by sight, and as much as women would have us believe otherwise, I have yet to read a romance novel, see a movie or hear of a romantic fantasy that involved a short, fat balding man with glasses. The rippling muscles, peircing eyes and long flowing mane I dare to say, rarely belong to a gentleman, but none-the-less, they are the stuff dreams are made of.
I once had the flowing mane, the peircing eyes and the silver tongue (never the six pack abs but I was always fit.) I learned to dance (very well) tango, cha-cha, merengue, fox-trot, waltz... latin and ballroom; because women love a man who can dance, and I was a gentleman. I was a gentleman and also a scoundral. I was a charmer. I treated every woman, regardless of her looks like a lady. I flirted and kissed hands, bought roses for ALL of the women at the table, not just the "cute" one. And most importantly (and still to this day) I never lied, unless to save someones feelings. I had many, many "one night stands" and short affairs, but turned many more down because I refuse to be the "I will call you" or leave before she wakes up type. And I never once in my life had to avoid a woman because of my actions or false promises.
I was a gentleman because that is what I was taught, how I was raised and what I saw growing up. Men treat women with respect, period. Open doors, hold chairs, help her with her coat.
In a modern era I lived a by-gone era life. Treat people with respect, have honor and honesty and love thy neighbor. Fight for things that matter, like family, friends and the the honor of a woman.... any woman. Chivalry and honor matter. But I was not so innocent in those times not to realize the effect that my demeanor had on women. I was not the best looking of my male social group by far, but never had a shortage of female "admirers", or might I add a plefora of men who disliked me greatly. (I was gay for many years apparantly without ever knowing it.)
A poet, a dancer, a romantic... and a gentleman.
But I wonder, how successful would I have been in romance, with all of the qualities that I possessed (and still to some degree, possess) had I been overweight, or balding. If I had a stutter, or a bad skin problem.
I think now I know the answer to that question. I am older... not old but older... I still consider myself an attractive man and I still possess the qualities and values I had back then. (ok so I haven't done a spin lift in 20 years, but I can still move my hips). But something has changed. I no longer have the flowing mane (although my hair is still shirley temple curly if I let it grow), I don't have the flawless latin skin and the body of a 25 year old dancer. All this aside, what matters more is that I don't have the belief, the confidence and the supreme confidence that women really want a gentleman... a confident, a gentle lover and a friend.... at least not without the flowing mane and the peircing eyes. Oh and since I am older now, I should add... the money.

just one ex-scoundrels opinion....

2013-03-18T01:32:00.000-04:00

too long since I have written here.... and I apologize to those who have read. Poetry needs inspiration and I have been uninspired for quite some time, but I heard from an old friend. She stole my heart the day I met her, not just for her outward beauty but for her humility and passion... she inspires me to write when I speak to her. Sadly I am much too old to ever win her heart, but I am blessed to look upon the beauty she shows both outward and within her soul and heart... a new poem for her....

Seeds

Tis sad, words to far and distant to be heard
Sentiment of a bygone era, to faint to hear but for the chosen few
Too few now to be counted and I fear too soon gone.

A brushed cheek, a flushed cheek and one heart skips a beat
Hand to cheek means nothing now but to those who capture hearts
and to those whos hearts need capture...

Hair in my face, a perfumes trace to speed the beat of a lonely heart
Touch of a hand, nape of neck and the lobe of an ear to lighty bite
Too subtle for these times but

Desire is a lost art, want is a lost need... to fast we speed
and loose the charm and fervor of lust... for want is the seed of love,
and seeds need time to grow.

Pieces

2011-08-18T01:14:00.001-04:00

Pieces

I think that our hearts are not one piece
But rather made up from many little pieces
As we go through life, we give those pieces away
To those we meet who touch us
Once given, they are gone forever
they can never be recovered.
But in return we receive a piece,
From those who's lives we touch.

While we are together
Somehow the pieces seem larger
Perhaps more complete.
If we choose to
We may keep the pieces close
Cherish them for what they are
and let them help to fill our hearts.
If we chose to let them fade and fall away
Our hearts will diminish and ultimately perish...

In the end, when all is said and done.
It is not only how many pieces we chose to give
but how many we received in return

Who pays for dinner?

2011-07-29T15:15:00.003-04:00

Today is Friday and this evening is the start of the weekend. Tonight all across the land (and the world I suppose) hundreds of thousands of dates will transpire. Many of these interactions will take place in restaurants, and the question that still always needs to be answered is who pays for dinner?

An article in The New York Post focused on a phenomenon known as “dinner whores.” While it seems a bit sensational, the women quoted in the article indicated that they would do what needed to be done (that is to seduce a man into believing he had a chance with them) in order to be taken to the finest restaurants. After the caviar, champagne, and every other extravagance, the women would let it be known that they had enjoyed themselves but that quite simply, their dates weren’t getting anything more than a kiss, and perhaps not even that.

This information provoked a rather rigorous debate among some people with whom I had a fairly civilized discussion. It really came down along the lines of gender: the women clearly stated that a man had to pay and that didn’t mean he was entitled to anything; the men felt that in these modern times that a woman should at least share in the cost of the meal, particularly if she has no romantic intentions toward her date. But if this is true, is it not fair to say that the male counterpart ‘dinner pimps” also exists? Are there men who feel that their money and lavish gifts entitle them to something of a sexual nature in return? I would say most definitely.

I thought about this a great deal and, since I am looking at it from a male perspective, I didn’t want to discount the female side of the story. After all, traditionally speaking it has always been the case that the man pays for the date. Where does this originate? I imagine it goes all the way back to the caveman who knocked on another cave door to pick up his date. Good old “Ugh” probably brought along his best club, escorted the female to the finest rock in the jungle, and proceeded to bash in the brains of some beast. After the lavish meal, “Ugh” might have expected at least a little kiss, but “Oh-no” protested this as a violation and requested to be returned home immediately. This is probably what led to the popular notion of the caveman clubbing the woman over the head and dragging her back to his lair.

It has always been my contention that the man pays. I am old school and I still believe that if a man asks a woman out, then he should pay for the evening. When I ask someone out on a date, I don’t believe I am entitled to anything but the pleasure of their company. To assume anything else is juvenile and selfish. If the evening goes well and something else transpires, so be it. If I am on several dates with the same person and nothing in the way of romance happens, then I must make a choice. Man up and ask her outright if there are any romantic feelings. If there are not and we still enjoy each others company, then I would expect further “dates” are not dates at all but two friends meeting for an evening, in which case I would expect her to pay her own way.

This however has now led to a dilemma. I am not as well off financially as I once was. I will not get into the reasons for this but, it would be very difficult for me to find the extra money to pay for a proper date with a lady I really liked and so I do not go on dates. I do not ask women out. I am alone because my pride and my romantic beliefs of chivalry and what is proper will not let me get into a situation which will ultimately leave me feeling too uncomfortable to be myself. For the foreseeable future, I will be single, the lesser of two evils.

Am I too picky?

2011-07-26T19:05:00.002-04:00

Ok, so now I am older, 52 to be exact. I find that I am really missing having someone to pamper, someone to love. Don't think that I have not had offers, I have, but just because I miss it doesn't mean I am willing to settle just for anyone who wants what I have to offer. This brings up the question... am I too picky?
I know a lot of people my age, who really just want to be loved. Want a decent person, who will treat them with love and respect. Does that mean we should yield to the first one who comes along who fills our needs? Just beecause we are lonely, do we forget what drives our desire and fuels our passion? What is love without passion?
Is it wrong for me to want the woman I choose to be one who takes my breath away? One who fuels my dreams at night and fills each waking moment with yearning and desire. I believe in love... true love and I am not willing to settle for anything less.
Am I too picky... I don't think so. I want what I want and I won't settle for less.

Valentines day and why I hate it...

2011-07-21T14:44:00.002-04:00

To be honest with you, I hate Valentines Day. So if I claim to be an incurable romantic, then how can I hate the most romantic day of the year?

I hate it just because of that. Who says that one day of the year should be more romantic than the others? The greeting card companies, the florists, the jewelry retailers or any of the thousands of others that commercialize this day to death? It seems that Christmas is just over and the stores shelves are filled to the brim with red hearts and heart shaped candy as to remind us of out duty to the ones we love. Isn't it amazing that a $30 bouquet of roses is suddenly $70 because it is the icon of valentines day...

Don't get me wrong, I haven't always hated valentines day. When I was a kid, I used to love to get and give valentines... those cute little teddy bear cards with "will you be mine" scrawled in crayon. But even then I noticed that the cute girl or the popular boy got a lot of valentines and the little geeky kid or the chubby girl sometimes got none. I always gave one to the chubby girl too, maybe because I was the short geeky kid. Another reason I hate Valentines day is just because of that. Those who are alone, who don't have someone to care about in that way are outcasts on this day. We are reminded of the fact that we have not been lucky enough to find that special someone and it can be the loneliest day of the year.

Somewhere along the line we missed the boat. If you need an official day to be reminded to tell your loved one how much you care, then perhaps you aren't as inclined to do it as often as you should. I for one am more inclined to buy flowers for no real reason other than I think my mate will get some joy from them, and I want to bring her joy. Little notes on the mirror or in her car to tell her I am thinking about her. Cook her a candle-lit dinner (and not just on her birthday). It is the little things that make the difference in a relationship, the little things that you don't have to do, but want to do.

Frankly I don't need an official day to remind me to show someone I care about how I feel and I don't appreciate some card or flower shop overcharging me to do it. Ditch the roses and card and tell her every day in the things you do... I guarantee you that she will think you are the most amazing man she has ever met.

I understand that some want to show people we love them on valentines day. I am not trying to play down its significance to those who enjoy taking part in it. I'm only trying to point out that our local retailers take advantage of us in celebrating these holidays, and I don't think it's necessary to go overboard. After all, money doesn't buy love, and it certainly doesn't grow on trees. I think it's more meaningful to take the time, and think of something that our loved one would really appreciate, instead of following the masses and putting money in the pockets of merchandisers. I say lets celebrate Valentines Day, but if we're going to celebrate it, then lets do it thoughtfully.

Just my opinion

i gave my love

2011-07-18T14:31:00.004-04:00

i took my love out walking
along the river Rhine
i gave my love a picnic
of camembert and wine
i read my love a poem
her head upon my knee
i sang my love a sonnet
beneath the shady tree

i gave my love a flower
a budding rose of white
i gave my love a warm embrace
and held her o so tight
i gave my love a token
a simple band of gold
i gave my love my open heart
for her to have and hold

i gave my love a promise
of my eternal love
i gave my love a wish I sent
to all the stars above
and in return my love she gave
a simple loving kiss
and that was all it took for me
to want to do all this

Gordon Merritt

Stereotypes proven wrong? < click this title to read the latest WestCan Poll

2011-07-17T18:25:00.000-04:00

I was never one to believe in stereotypes. I am way to much of a romantic for that. It has always bothered me that the vast majority of women feel that all men are insensitive jerks. There are lots of men out there that have shed the macho image and embraced their romantic side, we are not all troglodytes ladies.

Well it seems a new national poll has come along to back up my beliefs and put some kind of perspective on this negative way of thinking. I have been in four major relationships in my life, and been in love 3 times... I say three times because I was not in love the first time... the only time, that I was married.

I was in love with the idea of being in love, I was in love with the idea of being married, but I was not in love with my wife, and frankly she was not in love with me. Is it any wonder she cheated on me? I think not, and I never blamed her... I was young, I was immature and I was focused on trying to make the ideal life. Money, success, a loving and adoring wife... we were both in love with "things"... cars, furniture, clothes, art, entertaining... I did not give her the attention she needed, except to buy her things... and that was fine for her. Until the money ran out, I changed jobs to try to be happy, instead of rich.... and the love affair ended.

But I have been in love. In love so much that I could not imagine my life without the woman I centered my life around. And have been broken, so broken I never thought I would mend. Each time I have dusted myself off and pulled myself out of misery to try again. I have loved to the depths and breadth and height that my soul can reach... literally.

I have learned that love is a two way street, and although I still love all of my loves, in my own way. Although I still long for that reciprocal love that makes for a devoted and loving LASTING relationship, I know that I must not love for the wrong reason, I finally know that it is not enough to love unconditionally, you must get back what you put in.

Men are not all troglodytes, we are not all jerks... women are not all angels and are not all sensitive...

I was told by one of my ex loves... her reason for leaving me was that I loved too much. She was not capable of loving me the way I loved her. Enough said.

Off topic- Is romance dead?

2011-07-16T17:37:00.001-04:00

Is Romance dead?

I remember when I was a child
old blues eyes sang and women swooned.
He never sang on the radio then...
but he sang in my house on the old record player
and in my heart as I watched my grandparents dancing cheek to cheek.

An American in Paris... singing in the rain...
when men opened doors and offered seats
when men were gentlemen and women were ladies...
I always thought that I was born in the wrong place and time.

Knights in shining armor were common, and chivalry had a place
People were decent to each other
and war was a horror not a way of life.
children could talk to strangers... and still get home.

Love was simple,
boy meets girl,boy says hello, no text omg....
no cell phones or ipods..
people talked to people not to computers.
a single red rose meant something

Is romance dead?
I hope not...
I hope that there are still people out there like me
Dreamers and schemers and women who still want romance.
If not... they can bury me now.

Am I an antique?
A relic, a useless antiquity of a bygone era
Nice to look at, but of no real use?
yes I am older...but am I defunct?
It has been a long time since I been able to show my romantic side

but a guy can hope can't he?

Meter and Rhythm- the most common mistake.

2011-07-15T21:34:00.001-04:00

Meter and rhythm are in my mind the most overlooked aspect of new writers. They are what dictates the flow of a poem and they are invariably tied together. As I stated in my previous posts, it is not my intention to give an english lesson. I will let you research meter on your own, for now I would like to address the rhythm or flow aspect of poetry.

This to me is the biggest mistake new poets make. They get set on one line or one phrase and ignore the rhythmic flow of the poem for the sake of using that line. For a poem to flow it must have the same number of syllables for each matching line in the scheme. Below are two examples of rhyming text, one has perfect rhythm, one does not...

My love is like a river- 7 syllables
Ever changing as it goes - 6 syllables
My heart is like ship- 5 syllables
That follows it where it goes- 6 syllables

My love is like a river- 7 syllables
Ever changing as it flows- 6 syllables
My heart is just a vessel- 7 syllables
That must follow where it goes- 6 syllables

You will notice how the second text example doesn't just rhyme, it flows perfectly. It is balanced... the first example rhymes and says the same thing but it is awkward and uneven sounding to the ear.

"but I like what I am saying, how do I make it fit?" If you want the poem to flow and it doesn't, you must find a different way to say it. Either change the first line to fit the second or vice versa... try omitting un-needed descriptors or changing the rhyming word altogether so that you can achieve the same end.

I want my love to see me as I really am
I want her to love me for me
I want her to know what it is I feel inside
I want her to really see

example 1

I want my love to see me
For the man I am inside
I want my love to know me
For the love I cannot hide

example 2
I want my love to love me
For what I truly feel
I want my love to know me
To know that I am real

If you are stuck for a rhyme, try the alphabet trick. True rhyme means that you should not rhyme one word with the same word, so go through the alphabet adding each letter to the rhyme word. Remember, multi-syllable words can be used as long as they fit the rhythm.

example:Love = above, all of, be love, dove, glove, meaning of, morning dove, proud of,speaking of.... you get the idea. There are rhyming dictionaries in the library or online which will help you a lot if you have trouble, but I find most times just going through the alphabet works for me.

Rhyming Scheme- common mistakes

2011-07-15T19:21:00.002-04:00

Rhyming scheme is a good place to start, while there are poems out there that do not follow traditional rhyming schemes, I do not recommend this to the new writer. Most new writers do not understand the intricacies of keeping the flow of a poem when using combined or unusual rhyming schemes (ie rhymes in the middle of sentences rather than the end). Stick to consistent schemes. Another mistake is to use the same rhyming syllable in every stanza or on every line in a stanza... I find this makes a poem sound too repetitive.

example-

I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree
And so I think you will agree
The tree is lovely as can be

or
I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree
The tree is much more beautiful
Especially when it's leaves are full

I think that it shall ever be
That I shall just adore the tree
but when it's leaves aren't quite so full
Then watching trees is awfully dull

Where is may work on a short cute poem... it is not really effective in a longer poem. My advice is to spread your rhymes out over the course of your poem. I also advise using the same rhyme more than once unless it is the theme of your poem.

Rhyming Poetry- Not as easy as you think!

2011-07-15T17:43:00.001-04:00

We will now delve into the rhyming form of poetry. Rhyming poetry is probably what most new poets attempt for their first poems but also what most aspiring poets have the most trouble with.

There are strict rules that apply to rhyming poetry that must be adhered to in order to compose a good poem. Below I have named just a few and I will not try explain them in detail, but rather explain what I find are the mistakes commonly made by new poets.

-Rhyming scheme
-meter or rhythm
-stanzas and line breaks
-imagery
-enjambment
-speaker

So not to make these posts too long, I will break each into separate posts.

More on free verse poems (please read the previous posts first)

2011-07-15T17:05:00.002-04:00

Now that I have shown you how to avoid the first mistake on free verse, we will move on.

Free verse does not have a set pattern of rhyme or rhythm. There are no rules about line length in free verse. Quite often the poet will break these words if they want to create a visual shape to support the poem's message, or feeling that the poet wishes the reader to experience. They may wish to put special emphasis on a word they have used so they will use that word a line to unto itself, or place it on the next line so the reader notices it or is surprised by the poet's use of the word . Often a poet will end a line because it feels right to them to do so. The poet chooses the length of each line and the length of the poem according to the message, or feeling they wish to communicate to their readers.

In short With free verse there are a lot of guidelines but no rules...

That being said, the second biggest mistake that people make is that they use statement phrases instead of descriptive phrases in the construction of their poetry. For example... " My love for you know no boundaries, it is all encompassing" while this may be true, it is hardly poetic. Instead I would chose something like "To speak the depths of my love for you, would be as to count the stars in the sky. I could speak a thousand lifetimes and still not not have have words enough to say what I feel" It conveys the same message but is more relatable because we have all seen the number of stars in the sky... make the reader "picture" your words.

The last piece of advice I have on free verse is harder to master. It is the use of ambiguous terms and language that portrays romance. Terms such as "would be as " instead of "would be like" and " To speak the depths of my love" instead of " To try to tell you how I feel". The phrasing of such romantic wording is not something that you use every day, thus it is more difficult to "acquire" as a poet... (notice I used "thus" and not "so"

A good thesaurus is a must for writers... and read some of the classics, there are so many. Any questions, please ask. Next post will be on Rhyming poetry.

Romantic Poetry- Free Verse Style

2011-07-15T17:03:00.002-04:00

In this post we will delve into the world of free verse, only because free verse is easier to explain than rhyming poetry.

The biggest mistake people make when writing free verse is they fail to set a tone or mood right of the bat. Effective romantic free verse needs to capture the reader with the first line and each line should leave them wanting more. Think of it as a story... you want to capture the audience and build the suspense or feeling until it reaches a crescendo or peak and then slowly ease out and let them savour the emotions you have built in them. Below I have two beginnings to a free flow poem, one very good and one not so good. You will see what I mean from these examples...

I love you. But then I have always loved you.

From the very first time I saw you it was as if the world stood still

as to let me breathe you in.

The first line states the purpose and in an obvious fashion... like it is an afterthought. The poem will go on to explain the depths of that feeling but notice how the second line builds on the first. This is a very good beginning to a passionate poem.

I love you, you stir feelings in me that I cannot describe

I think that we were meant to be together forever, because I cannot imagine loving anyone else.

While this portrays a feeling, it is merely a statement of fact. The first line states the purpose but the second line does nothing to build on the first line, it is simply another statement, and that is not what good poetry is. Now if we follow the format of the first example we can change the mood completely

I love you.

I will try to find the words to make you understandwhat my heart feels when you are near,

and you are always near.

To love you is as natural to me as to breathe, and I cannot imagine my heart without you

As in the first example the second line builds on the first... it is not just a statement of fact but more an elaboration of the feeling

The romantic poem- Getting started.

2011-07-15T15:31:00.002-04:00

I think the hardest thing for every writer is how to get started on a new poem. You have something in your head, an idea but how do you make it go from an idea to something more? The first thing you have to decide is what type of poem you want to write. There are many different styles of poetry and no one is better than the other. Some poems rhyme, some poems don’t and there are many different types of rhyming and non-rhyming poetry. I will not give you an english lesson here… I will only tell you that you must decide where to go based on the mood of your poem. How do you want to express it? Do you want the words to create a “melodic” tone, something similar to a song verse, or would you rather a “narrative” tone, more like the spoken word?

Rhyming poems are beautiful in themselves as they are more like music to the ear, but rhyming poems must have a flow to them, or they don’t work. Also, like song lyrics, they almost always have a “hook” , a line that stands out from the rest of the poem or emphasises the title of the poem. They are also more rigid because in order to flow, they must have a structured number of syllables in each line. Free verse poems on the other hand also flow, but more in the sense that they convey a mood of romance rather than a melodic tone. Think of a romantic scene from a movie, the words spoken with passion by an actor or actress. Quite often they portray analogy ” your love is as a summers day” or descriptive text, ” I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.” One way or the other, it is hard to get started until you have a direction in which you want to go. I will go into more depth on these two styles of poems in the next couple of posts.

Inspiration- The key to a successful poem

2011-07-14T17:51:00.000-04:00

A key element to good romantic poetry all to often goes overlooked. What inspired the poem? Was is a new love you met, an old flame? Perhaps it was and important event or a special place you met someone that reminded you of a romantic night. Maybe and old movie you watched again for the millionth time that gave you inspiration. Whatever the source was, it is important... no vital, that you have it.

I can always tell when people have written poems because they wanted, or felt they had to, write a poem. I can also tell you that I have done it on many an occassion. These poems just seem to lack the va-va-voom... the spark that reads from truly inspired poem.

Whenever you write a poem, make sure you are writing for the right reason. Find inspiration wherever you can, in movies, books, songs. Take a walk somewhere where you know you have experienced feeling by being there before. Look at some old photographs or read some old letters. I guarantee you that if you feel some kind of twinge of memory or a flutter in your stomach from seeing a picture of an old or new flame... you will be inspired and you will write a better poem.

Line Breaks and stanzas

2010-07-18T03:03:00.000-04:00

Poetry is often separated into lines on a page. These lines may emphasize a rhyming pattern at the ends of lines. Lines may serve other functions, particularly where the poem is not written in a formal metrical pattern. Lines can separate, compare or contrast thoughts expressed in different units, or can highlight a change in tone.

Lines of poems are often organized into stanzas, which are denominated by the number of lines included. Thus a collection of two lines is a couplet (or distich), three lines a triplet (or tercet), four lines a quatrain, five lines a quintain (or cinquain), six lines a sestet, and eight lines an octet. These lines may or may not relate to each other by rhyme or rhythm. For example, a couplet may be two lines with identical meters which rhyme or two lines held together by a common meter alone. Stanzas often have related couplets or triplets within them.

The biggest thing I can say about stanzas and line breaks is be consistent. You can have more that one length stanza within a poem, but try to repeat the pattern throughout the poem. a four line stanza repeated or a four line then a two line, then a four line then a two line etc. Also your stanzas should have an impact on how the poem reads. They should emphasis a break in thought or change of scheme and not just be put there for no apparent reason. Most line breaks are simply to maintain the rhythm of the poem...

Love

2010-07-15T15:11:00.000-04:00

I love you
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.

I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;

I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,

And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple.

Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good.
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.

You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.

You have done it
By being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all.

Roy Croft