Meditations on Cupid

This week, I've been thinking a lot about Valentine's Day because I've been doing a few radio interviews to help promote my book and talk about being single on Valentine's. For some reason, it has reminded me of the poetry of John Donne. Back in the 15-1600's, he wrote a collection of "Holy Sonnets." You'll recall that sonnets are often love poetry with the subject of the poem being a woman. Shakespeare was known for his romantic sonnets. (Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? etc...) So what Donne did in his holy sonnets was pick a type of poetry that follows a very specific rhyme scheme, meter, and structure, yet instead of making the focus of the poems a woman, he wrote them about God. Some people criticized his work because they said that it was improper to mix something so sensual (the format of the sonnet) with something so holy (God). But, I think what Donne was doing was worshiping God in the best way he knew how! By picking the sonnet, it was like he was choosing to write about God and to God with as much passion and feeling as if he were writing about a woman. (Click here for my favorite Donne sonnet). So for Valentine's Day today, I hope you'll think about Love not just in the romantic sense, but in the eternal, unconditional sense. For on a day that celebrates love, what better Love to celebrate than the Love of God.

And on a lighter note, I couldn't let Vday come and go without a visit from an extra special "cupid!" This one has a quiver full of arrows, and I've been hit by every one!! Enjoy! (The pics are just proofs so they can't be reproduced.)