Questions

What am I supposed to give Anthony as a wedding gift? I asked Kristin, my bridesmaid and person-who-was-married. I mean what kinds of things do brides give their grooms? I was thinking of hiring someone to clean the house before we left for the honeymoon so we’d come back to a spotless house. Is that a good wedding gift?

Um, no, she said gently, so as not to make me feel like an idiot. It should be something personal. Like, you could paint him a picture, or make a scrapbook, or write him a poem…

A poem? Why, I had at least a dozen poems Id written about him that heed never seen. And if I wrote a few more, Id have a whole chapbook!

That exactly what I did. Over the next couple of months, I wrote more poems. I wrote the final one the day before our wedding, capturing my feelings on the eve of our marriage. Then I printed them out, three-hole-punched them, made a cardstock cover, and tied the pages together with ribbon.

On our wedding day, I took him aside after our ceremony and read him the last poem. It was a perfect gift.

But you don’t have to wait for such a monumental occasion to use writing as a gift. One of my friends writes children’s books and illustrates them, then gives them to her grandkids on their birthdays. A successful greeting card publisher started out her business because she used to write original cards for all of her family and friends they loved them so much that they encouraged her to offer her sentiments to the masses.

I’ve also donated personal essays to anthologies; just so I could give the book as a gift to the person the essay was about. I wrote a love letter to Anthony and sent it off to be published in the anthology Love Letters of a Lifetime, then gave it to him for Valentine’s Day.

A poem I wrote for my grandmother was made into a plaque by the James Lawrence Company. A poem to my mother was made into a plaque as well, which I gave her for Mothers Day.

For my bridal shower, a family friend gave me two journals: one for Anthony, one for me. On the card, she wrote her instructions: We were to write in our journals every day, and exchange them on our first anniversary.

Your words don’t have to be published to be gifts. You can design your own prints, cards, banners, and books on your computer, or go truly hand-made and pick up a pack of construction paper and markers.

If you want to get fancy, you can hire an artist to make you a cover or design your work for you. Finding them couldn’t be simpler: try Googling illustrators, graphic designers, or artists and see for yourself!

You may write and self-publish your family history as a gift for all your relatives and future generations. Print-on-demand companies make this an affordable option if you shop around and do away with the extras.

You may use a program like Greetings Workshop to design a calendar. You can insert your own photos and poems or short sentiments, and even write in your own imaginative holidays.

Write your own romance, starring you and your significant other, as an anniversary gift. (Could be a short story or a novella if you’re feeling ambitious!)

Write a story to be read every Christmas as a new family tradition.

Write an inspirational poem for a relative who’s in the hospital.

Write a limerick to stick in your daughters lunchbox.

At the local printer, a personalization shop, or several places online, you can have your words made up into a t-shirt, mug, poster, bumper sticker, magnet, or plaque. It’s wonderful to find that strangers enjoy your published words, but it can be even nicer to find that your words can light up your children’s eyes, or your spouses, or your parents. A gift of your talent and your heart is generous, and more meaningful than anything you could get at the local mega-mall. Spend some time today writing for someone you love.


- Jivinder Singh Sabherwal

It is often said that Language is the poetry of the soul. When you wish to speak of your love for that one special person, what other better way to do so than by speaking out your heart on perfumed paper, and sealed with a kiss? Yes, we are referring to the humble love letter.

Love letters have their firm place in history, the cause of alliances and the reason for wars. Yet, very few delights can compare to the sweet sorrow that one feels, while writing a love letter. The mode of sending a letter across was also quite different earlier. One would use pigeons for the purpose, or simply send it through a trusted friend. Today too, a love letter is rated as one of the topmost ways of saying I Love You. There is something humble, direct and romantic about reading words on paper. More importantly, you can keep on reading the letter as and when you wish, and even sleep with it under your pillow if you desire. Today, thanks to the commercialization of love itself, one can get so many choices even in letter pads. Gone are the days of plain white paper, now it comes in different shapes, sizes, patterns and colors.

Of course not all of us can speak out matters of the heart with such eloquence like an orator. Which is why for the rest of us we can now refer to websites which will help us say what we want the right way? There are sites with ready love letters already put up. All you need to do is copy them word for word, and then post the letter to your love. One cannot deny however that in the face of technology, a handwritten love letter still holds its own place.

Would you like to send love letters? Checkout www.best-quotes-poems.com ’s special section of love letters.


- Shweeta Bhandari

Would you like to compose personal love letters and poems for your sweetheart but don’t know where to begin? While it’s true that a personalized love letter is usually preferred over a greeting card, unfortunately most folks don’t put forth the extra effort to compose one. Although this may be due to lack of time, often people are too timid or lack the confidence to write their own. Many feel they don’t have the necessary writing skills or flair. Fortunately, writing of this nature can be mastered with a little practice and patience. In no time at all, you could be writing material that captures the heart of your lover.

Writing Tips for Love Letters and Poems

The first thing to remember when composing a love message to your mate is to write from the heart. Let the person know your true feelings for them. This may include telling them how you felt when you first met, describing past events or occasions that are dear to your heart, or telling them of their qualities you find most attractive. Remember you are writing to an individual. Take time to personalize your letter or poem and it will be cherished for years to come.

How many people do you know who have saved love letters that are decades old? Actually it’s not too uncommon for a person to keep hand written correspondence from a former or current lover. Now ask yourself how many people would be likely to save greeting cards from years gone by. While maybe a few, the numbers are nowhere near that of hand written letters and poems. This fact alone should inspire you to create your own love greetings.

Special Events and Occasions

The following list contains holidays and events that are the perfect time for letting your lover know just how you feel.

* Valentine’s Day

* Sweetest Day

* Birthday

* Anniversary

* Marriage proposal or engagement

* Birth of a child

These are just a few of the special times you may wish to write your own love letters. However, you needn’t wait for a certain event to express your feelings of passion. Often receiving a love greeting unexpectedly can have the greatest impact. Your mate will be grateful that you took the time to express yourself for no special reason.

After a little practice, you will become more comfortable writing your own love messages. In fact, your mate may soon start to expect or anticipate hand written correspondence from you. When this occurs, you will know your efforts have been worthwhile.


- Zhang Xiao Hong

This article deals with writing a love letter on paper. Yes, many of us have forgotten what it’s like to write an old fashioned, love letter in our own hand. Letters written on romantic paper and sealed with a kiss and audaciously mailed to someone you love will be remembered for ever. SMSs and emails are forgotten in a flash. Chances are you’ll be forgotten in a flash if you resort to electronic flirting. Here are some tips to help you play the love game.

The Body

Hold him, don’t bore him. Many of us are tempted to go about ourselves when we write, disregarding the reader and losing him in the process. We also feel the longer a letter is, the more impressive it is. Not so.

Your letter should have no more than two paragraphs dedicated to each point you want to make. Never repeat something you’ve already said and never waffle or pad. Today’s readers are busy, impatient beasts, even when they love us. Take too long to come to the point and he may move from reading mode to scanning, which would ruin everything.

If your letter is the first contact, recall where you met him and dwell on the impression he gave you, and how you feel about him now – don’t use the word ‘love’, however, or he’ll jump.

The Close

Leave him with love. The whole point of writing a love letter is to make sure your lover gets your message loud and clear; you like him. A lot. And there’s no better place to state or reiterate this than at the end.

When he reaches the final page, his eye will see your signature at the bottom. He knows the adventure of riding on your romantic outpourings is about to end. What does he want? To be reassured – and after what may have been some fun teasing and flirtatiousness from you, to read an unequivocal declaration of your affection. And what do you want. To leave him with his heart glowing, his mind spinning – and his hand reaching for pen and paper to write a reply. Here’s how to achieve both your goals.

For the end of your letter, summon all your creative resources to say something that will shake him, make him smile or make him weep. Writing is a form of telepathy. You write something today, about how you feel in this exact moment and what you’ve done today, and you post it. A few days later, he’s reading the letter, experiencing a different time and place, but bonded to your moment. There’s a magic in that.

There are as many ways to end love letters as there are lovers, but one of the best is ‘Love always’. Otherwise opt for something that reflects the mood of your letter – ‘Truly sorry’, ‘Missing you impatiently’ or ‘Hungrily awaiting Saturday night.’

Most importantly, your letter should sound thrilling to you when you read it through. If you’re honest with yourself and how you feel about your lover, it will shine through in your writing.

Writing Tips

Underlining words in letters is like using italics or bold text in electronic correspondence.

Using capitals emphasizes words but should be done with discretion.

Check your spelling with a dictionary.

Be sure your writing is legible.

Quote poetry or lines from favorite books and songs if you think they say things better than you could, but never pass them on as your own. Nothing can top attempting poetic lines of your own.


- Sandra Prior