A few years ago my mom gave me a chocolate candy bar that has spoiled me for any other chocolate. It was just that good. It’s the Chocolove candy bar made in Boulder, CO with Belgian chocolate. If you’re a life long chocolate lover, what I’m about to say won’t compute: I used to not like chocolate very much – to me it was a ho-hum treat. Now, I realize that what I don’t like is waxy bland chocolate-like stuff that is the ingredient in many candies. But Belgian chocolate? Oh My Goodness! My taste buds sat up. And that’s not all, the Chocolove people have a hidden treat: On the inside of every wrapper they have printed a classic love poem! POETRY AND CHOCOLATE, people! Honest. (No, I am not a paid spokeswoman, just a fan.)
The poem on the wrapper I’m looking at right now is an excerpt from Elegy XVI: On His Mistress by John Donne:
By our first strange and fatal interview.
By all desires which thereof did ensue,
By our long starving hopes, by that remorse
Which my words’ masculine persuasive force…
Mmmm Hmmm. There's more, but you get the idea. It’s dark and mysterious, and like the Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate candy bar that it was wrapped around before I ate it, delicious. There are many other varieties. My favorite:
Admittedly, the poetry is for mature audiences, and the chocolate may not be to everyone’s taste, but the good people at Chocolove started me thinking. Love poems and chocolate are such a sweet team. For Valentine’s Day, is there someone you just LOOOOVE who would just LOOOOVE a sweet treat and a poem written by you? It could be a Chocolove bar, a box of chocolate, or even a homemade treat to go with your homemade love poem.
Here is a poem starter for any age that’s kind of an ode (celebration), list poem that uses anaphora (the repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis.) Not essential, but if you want your poem to have a specific rhythm and rhyme, you could fill in the blanks using iambic rhythm, and rhyme line two with line four, and line six with line eight. You don't have to call it an ode, and you don't have to start it out this way. And if love is too strong a word, like or admire could also work. You can write your love poem any way you like! Here you go:
ODE TO ____________
I love the way you ____ ____ ____
I love ____ ____ ____ ____
I love ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
I love ____ ____ ____ ____
I love ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
I love ____ ____ ____ ____
But most of all, I love
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Happy Poetry Writing, and Happy Valentine's Day Week!
Poetry Friday is being hosted by Tara at A Teaching Life
Yesterday for Verseday, Gabrielle highlighted verse novels and poetry books that she picked up at ALA Midwinter – including a copy of my soon-to-be-released novel in verse: GONE FISHING! You can take a peek here: versenovels.com
02/08/2013