FOR MARY JANE.
FOR MARY JANE.
Today we are obliged to be romantic
And think of yet another valentine.
We know the rules and we are both pedantic:
Today’s the day we have to be romantic.
Our love is old and sure, not new and frantic.
You know I’m yours and I know you are mine.
And saying that has made me feel romantic,
My dearest love, my darling valentine.
“Another Valentine” by Wendy Cope
I love how the attitude switches halfway through the poem. And it affirms a theory studied in psychology, that if we go through the motions of something we often end up with the emotion or attitude that corresponds to it. For example, one experiment had people clench a pencil between their teeth, which results in an expression that uses the muscles we use to smile. Those people reported feeling happier.