Would you love to write a love poem? These books by acclaimed poets will guide you in the creation of your masterpiece:
The poetry home repair manual : practical advice for beginning poets by Ted Kooser
Poemcrazy : freeing your life with words by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
Ordinary genius : a guide for the poet within by Kim Addonizio
If writing poetry is not for you perhaps one of these poets has already expressed exactly what you want to say.
100 Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda
Before I loved you, Love, nothing was my own… begins the 25th sonnet in this lovely book, dedicated to the poet’s wife. Presented with the original Spanish text next to the English translation, these poems speak of the spiritual, as well as the sensual, aspects of romantic love.
Love Poems by Nikki Giovanni
The poems in this slim book range from humorous to painful. Many address platonic forms of love, for friends, family members and other artists. However, some of the poems are joyfully and unabashedly romantic. One example is, And I have You, which begins:
Rain has drops Sun has shine
Moon has beams That make you mine…
Love Haiku: Japanese poems of yearning, passion, and remembrance
If short and sweet is your style check out this beautiful little book, which includes poems by masters such as Issa and Busho, as well as works by contemporary Japanese poets.
Love’s Exquisite Freedom by Maya Angelou
Gorgeous reproductions of paintings and drawings by Edward Burne-Jones accompany Maya Angelou’s tribute to the power of love. Your valentine is likely to be delighted when you read this picture book for grown-ups aloud.
Random House treasury of favorite love poems
William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron and Y.B, Yeats are among the well known poets represented in this volume. Works from antiquity, such as The Song of Solomon and Sappho’s Peer of gods he seemeth to me, are also included, as are poems by contemporary poets. The poems in this book are organized in chapters that represent love in all its phases, from Wooing and Seduction to Bitterness and Torment.
Of course poetry isn’t the only way to express your love. There’s also chocolate!
One chapter of this beautiful book is devoted to chocolate. The recipes are not necessarily for beginners, but the champagne chestnut torte with chocolate cream might just be worth the effort!
Chocolates and confections : at home with the Culinary Institute of America
This book provides step-by-step instructions that will enable you to create chocolates that are as beautiful to look at as they delicious to eat.
Maida Heatter’s book of great chocolate desserts
Classic desserts, such as Black Forest cherry torte, brownies and several types of soufflés and mousses are featured in this cookbook. However, there are also recipes for more unusual treats. For example, perhaps your valentine would enjoy chocolate prune whip and chocolate hot buttered rum.
Dulce : desserts in the Latin-American tradition
Filled with gorgeous photographs this book is a treat to browse. Again, recipes featuring chocolate are the focus of one chapter, however, chocolate appears in many of the recipes in other chapters. Some of the treats are twists on classic desserts, such as chocolate flan and chocolate tres leches cake, while others are more innovative. If you have an ice cream maker you might want to prepare a most appropriate Valentine’s Day dessert – chocolate jalapeno ice cream!
