For Valentine's Day, I can think of no better theme than something along the lines of poetry - particularly, the sonnet. As far as writing goes, no form of poem is quite as intertwined with romance as the sonnet. Sure, limericks are fun and to the point, haiku have a beautiful simplicity, and sometimes a simple, "Roses are red..." poem is enough to make the point. However, when it comes to showing one's romantic interest without coming off too obsessive, the sonnet hits that sweet spot to win over someone's heart. And when it comes to sonnets, nobody could drop a rhyme quite like William Shakespeare.
Now, before we get into W.S. and his involvement with the sonnet, let's set some ground rules for what actually makes a sonnet. This structure of poetry has been around for at least 800 years in their current form and possibly more if other cultures are considered, but they really took off when they hit Europe, and someone realized this was the right size for a romantic poem. At that point, the royal courts all wanted to have the magical formula for the perfect sonnet.I won't dive into more about kings and princes using poetry to romance their interests - let's just accept that as read and figure out what a sonnet is. In general, it's a 14-line poem, made up of three four-line stanzas and a two-line closer, and the typical rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG (the first and third lines rhymed with each other, the second and fourth rhymed, the fifth and seventh, etc., then the two closing lines rhymed with each other). Rhyme schemes have varied, and the meter can be played with in many ways, but that's the basic layout. As to the content, the sonnet needs to start off as a question, problem, or situation, discussed over the first 6-8 lines, then resolving itself in the final lines. Some forms have the feature of a six-line dilemma, a two-line "turn" that shifts the problem toward resolution, then a six-line solution. Whew - that's a lot of work to get a date.
Now, interestingly enough, sonnets don't actually have to do about romance, just like a haiku doesn't have to be about nature and a limerick doesn't have to be about a guy from Nantucket. This is interesting because, getting back to our friend Mr. Shakespeare, he is quite well-known for writing over 150 sonnets, yet his big collection was not necessarily just packed full of romance. Check out Sonnet 130 for an example. If Shakespeare put this in a Valentine's Day card, he might've spent the night on the couch.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
Now, this isn't romantic by any stretch, but damn does it paint a vivid picture of this lady to whom he is bonded to. This isn't the "lady on a pedestal" style of sonnets that people write to praise their love, but rather a very effective descriptive tool for shaping out someone as dramatically human. It's a sonnet made for capturing a person and his tie to her, for better or worse.
So, if you ever want to give a wild shot at something, try writing a sonnet about someone. Let them inspire you, then just write about them in that ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme. They never have to read it, so never let that hold you back. But flex that creative muscle, and see what happens. You might really create a winning piece. And, as Shakespeare might've once said, "Chicks dig sonnets."