Become the Shakespeare of Cooking This Valentine’s Day: Why is Cooking a Form of Poetic Expression?

Time is at the Essence

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, store shelves will be stocked with pink and red themed accoutrements. Ranging from chocolate sets, flowers, and large teddy bears the isles of love gifts will haunt your Valentine’s dreams. What if I told you these items are nice thoughts for your significant other but make for surface level replacements for the most valuable thing you can offer, time. Why not get your lover a gift and start cooking their favorite meal this Valentine’s day! They do say cooking is a form of love language, and poetry in its most innate form.

The History of Love Poetry

The history of love poetry is quite complex because what is classified as love poetry does not always align itself with traditional notions of “amour”. According to the New York Public Library in an article by Chasity Moreno entitled “The Evolution of the Love Poem”, the earliest form of love poetry comes from the Mesopotamian region. Moreno says that the first poem named The Love Song for Shy-Sin: “was likely recited by Shu Shin’s chosen bride. While it was not love as we know it today, it was the ultimate representation of love between a monarch, his bride, and their god.”

Of course, this first example is proto-romantic when put before the likes of the Cavalier Poets and Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare; love poetry became synonymous with impressing and winning over your lover’s heart.

The Reason Why Love Poetry and Cooking go Hand in Hand

It is no secret that for thousands of years people communicate their love to other by writing poetry. There is a labour that goes into writing a poem, and this labour communicates love. Moreover, cooking also involves labour because of the work you put into preparing a dish. What both cooking and poetry have in common is they both take ingredients to prepare. Cooking uses tangible ingredients like eggs, chives, fruit etc. While poetry uses alliteration, meter, rhyme etc. These labour-intensive tasks communicate love and demonstrate that your time is worth your partners happiness.

Over the years, cooking has been promoted as an art form of itself, with delicate ingredients, complex colors, or just plain looks. There is a story with each dish created and a reason for its creation. Much like Poetry cooking can be served as food, as Poet Dorothy Chan wrote in Poetry Magazine that: “Food has everything to do with poetry. I like to compare poems to appetizers. Appetizers are a tease- they’re the palate whets filled with nonstop allure.” The world of poetic expression aligns itself with the preparation of a dish, as they both attempt to impress and excavate emotions from the recipient.

When’s the Last Time You Wrote A Poem? Just Cook!

In 2021, we have a lot less poets galivanting around town. Chances are that the last time you attempted writing a poem you were sitting in Mrs. Sharon’s grade 5 class, writing a poem that went along the roses are red theme. Just a small tidbit, this redundant elementary style poem will not work out for you. You are better off buying the chocolates and accoutrements I mentioned before and call it quits. But If you want to do something special for this valentine season, put on an apron and whisk up your inner Shakespeare, because your love language exists at the tip of your spatula.

Ask your significant other what he or she has been craving lately and put your skills to the test. Cheers to a nice romantic dinner!