Every sixty seconds, the heart pumps almost five quarts of
blood through the body. This hard-working, fist-sized, ten-ounce,
blood-filled muscle has been romanticized by songs, poems, and expressions, and has become the universal symbol for love.
Heart references take on multiple meanings that reveal more about one’s temperament, mood, and behavior than about the physical heart. The emotional side of the heart has become an integral part of our vocabulary.
She
was there in a heartbeat.
He
has a heart of gold.
You’re
all heart.
We
had a heart-to-heart talk.
I
had my heart set on it.
Have
a heart!
Cross
your heart?
I
love you with all my heart.
Heart of hearts; heartbroken; heartfelt; change of heart;
heartrending; heart throbbing; heartened; fainthearted; pure of heart;
cold-hearted.
Historically, the heart has played an important part in the
beliefs of many cultures. In ancient
times, the Chinese related it to the center for happiness. The Greeks were
convinced it was the seat of the spirit.
And, though no one is certain of the precise origin of the heart’s association
with love, the Egyptians believed that both intellect and emotions originated
from the heart.
Poetry Prompt:
Write a poem that uses the heart as a metaphor or symbol. And/Or tell a story of love. Include some of the heart references above if you wish. You may even want to present your poem to your Valentine.
Suggested Form:
From Shadow Poetry, try a Constanza, which was created by Connie Marcum Wong.
"Five or more 3-line stanzas. Each line has a set meter of eight syllables. The first lines of all the stanzas can be read successively as an independent poem, with the rest of the poem weaved in to express a deeper meaning. The first lines convey a theme written in monorhyme, while the second and third lines of each stanza rhyme together.
Rhyme scheme: a/b/b, a/c/c, a/d/d, a/e/e, a/f/f.........etc."
Click here for examples.
It would make our hearts sing if you share the link to your poem in the comments below. Or, if you'd prefer, post your poem in the comments. We're looking forward to reading your work. With all our hearts.
~ xoAnnis ~
Annis Cassells is a writer, poet, life coach, and teacher. She divides her time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. She is a member of Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s blogs at www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com and www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com and her website at www.connectionsandconversations.com
Write a poem that uses the heart as a metaphor or symbol. And/Or tell a story of love. Include some of the heart references above if you wish. You may even want to present your poem to your Valentine.
Suggested Form:
From Shadow Poetry, try a Constanza, which was created by Connie Marcum Wong.
"Five or more 3-line stanzas. Each line has a set meter of eight syllables. The first lines of all the stanzas can be read successively as an independent poem, with the rest of the poem weaved in to express a deeper meaning. The first lines convey a theme written in monorhyme, while the second and third lines of each stanza rhyme together.
Rhyme scheme: a/b/b, a/c/c, a/d/d, a/e/e, a/f/f.........etc."
Click here for examples.
It would make our hearts sing if you share the link to your poem in the comments below. Or, if you'd prefer, post your poem in the comments. We're looking forward to reading your work. With all our hearts.
~ xoAnnis ~
Annis Cassells is a writer, poet, life coach, and teacher. She divides her time between Bakersfield, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. She is a member of Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. See Annis’s blogs at www.thedaymaker.blogspot.com and www.poemsbyannis.blogspot.com and her website at www.connectionsandconversations.com
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