Poetry is one of the oldest forms of art, predating literacy thanks to its use in prehistoric society. Back then poems were used in order to help the story contained within them to be memorized and passed on. These days poems are used mainly to express feelings that may otherwise remain unsaid. This is especially true when it comes to love and romance.

Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to write a poem for your partner. It's a bigger gesture than sending an e-card, but one that doesn't cost a penny. You'll gain satisfaction from the experience and your loved one will (hopefully) appreciate the gesture. It doesn't actually matter whether the poem you forge is good or bad, it's the proverbial thought that counts. However, we all need a helping hand from time to time.

Thankfully the Web is awash with poems and poem generators. The latter are methods for creating poems without the need to possess the skills required to do so. Or at least that's the general idea. Most online poem generators fail to really deliver. What follows are four that do the job just fine, though they still all require a little creative thought on the part of the poet.

Poetry Soup nlla

poem generator

Poetry Soup offers a Love Poem Generator that does what it says on the tin, nothing more, nothing less. You're required to input 21 words which are then placed in the poem to make it unique and personal to you. These include the name of the recipient, several nouns, and a couple of different body parts.

The result is a simple poem of just a couple of stanzas. Some of the words may not quite fit, but once you see the finished poem you can easily swap those out for words that do fit.

Computer Lab

poem generator for love

The K5 Computer Lab offers a poem generator that concentrates on a poem all about you, the sender. It's not specifically about love, but with a little added creativity the end result can be highly romantic. Each line of the poem begins with "I" and a verb, with you deciding the actual words that are going to fit around that unchanging backbone.

The presence of words such as "want," feel," "hope," and "dream" mean there is a lot of scope to create a meaningful poem for your partner. It's also very easy to use the results as the basis for a more intricate and involved poem.

Romeo's Magic

poem generator for love

Romeo's Magic is a website that offers personalized poetry for those who are willing to pay for it. For those who aren't willing, it offers a free love poem generator which is perfect for Valentine's Day lovers. There are 16 fields that need to be completed, with names, feelings, and descriptions the basic requirements. These are then woven into the poem to create something just for you.

As with all of the poem generators on this list the end result should be considered a starting point rather than a finished piece. Take the elements you want from the poem and embellish it with your own distinct style in order to make it unique.

Electronic Poetry

poem generator for love

The Electronic Poetry Kit is just one of a handful of poem generators provided by Love Is A Virus, but it's probably the best one. While the others generate poems randomly, this one instead provides you with the sets of words needed to forge a meaningful message. NB: Java is required for this particular poem generator, so avoid it completely if you're not a fan.

You choose from a list of famous writers such as Sylvia Plath, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac. Words they've used in their works are then presented to you jumbled up on a virtual fridge door. You then move the "magnets" around testing which words work well with each other. Eventually you should, with a little luck, stumble across a line or two worthy of including in your poem.

Other Methods

If none of the above produced just the result you were looking for, don't worry, as there's still hope. Creating a poem doesn't necessarily mean forging epic poems of many stanzas with lots of complicated words squeezed into rhythmic lines. There are a couple of simple styles of poetry which, once understood, can be easily created without the need of an automatic poem generator.

Haiku

love poem generator

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry which traditionally takes inspiration from nature. It features three lines of five, seven, and five syllables (the closest the English language has to 'on') which impart a message in a very small number of words. Leaving tradition behind means haiku can be created on all subjects, including love and romance.

There is no rhyming involved, and, apart from the need to hit the 5-7-5 hallmark, no need to stick to form. Let your imagination run wild and you'll easily be able to create a haiku for your loved one, whether to mark the occasion of Valentine's Day or not.

Example:-

Words of love tumble,

From mouth to ear and within.

Response required.

Acrostic

poem generator

An acrostic is a centuries-old form of a poem which uses the first letters of each word, line, or paragraph to spell out a hidden message. In its most basic form an acrostic can be written for and about a particular person without any trouble. Simply write the letters which make up the name of your loved one vertically, and then write a word or words describing them horizontally.

You can include just word for each letter, or form whole sentences instead. The words can reside separately from each other or be read as a whole to form a sentence of their own. There is huge scope to play with this form of poetry; the direction to take is up to you.

Example:-

Don't think badly of me,

And look away eyes closed.

Versatility is a good trait,

Especially when words are involved.

Conclusions

Poems are one of the simplest ways to show someone you care. And with the above tools/tips at your disposal there really is no excuse not to give creating one a go. Think of this as your first try. The poem you create may not be unique or beautifully crafted, but those properties will arrive over time. For now its about learning the most simple methods for putting words on a page that flow and have meaning. And if your partner fails to be impressed you can always buy them a geeky Valentine's gift instead.

If you use any of the four poem generators listed above please let us know your personal experience. Which of the four did you use? And why? Did the resulting sonnet garner the desired response? If you decided to go with a haiku or acrostic instead, how did that turn out? As always we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below, so get writing. You could even turn your comment into a poem...

Image Credit: Vijay Paul