Humor in Contemporary Love Poetry

Humor can be found in contemporary love poetry in every era, including the present. One must suggest that every contemporary love poet has a sense of humor to some degree, although it may be more evident in the poetic works of some.

Critics and readers of contemporary love poetry are often amazed, astounded, confused or confounded by the obvious sense of humor that contemporary love poets portray in their writing. At times, what they write is totally delightful, shocking or even priceless, because it is so humorous, funny, crazy  or even absurd.

Humor is an extremely important aspect of human life and thus, the contemporary poet writing about his or her life, is naturally predisposed to include humor in his or her contemporary love poetry. Life really does have many humorous aspects for those who are able to see and appreciate them. In fact it can be, or merely seem to be hilarious, at times.

A contemporary love poet may have a relatively dry sense of humor that is evident as he or she mocks or ridicules someone, or something in a subtle or less obvious manner.

The choice of expressions or words used by the contemporary love poet may be humorous to some who are able to understand them, but not necessarily others, who do not always know what they mean. Perhaps the words or expressions are from a different era, and originally had a different meaning or even a non-humorous meaning, at that time.

Most readers enjoy some element of humor in contemporary love poetry, but not everyone appreciates all poetic humor, as some readers may find that to them, the contemporary love poet's attempts at humor are not always written in good taste. As if choosing wine, readers of contemporary love poetry tend to have individual palates. Each reader picks and chooses what he or she finds desirable in terms of humor, and tends to ignore or reject the less desirable.

Attempts by contemporary love poets to write contemporary love poetry with humor are loved by some, but despised by others, particularly if they are deemed to be politically incorrect, sexist or racist in nature. Thus, caution is always important for a contemporary love poet attempting to include humor in his or her contemporary love poetry. It is important to direct one's humorous contemporary love poetry to the appropriate readership.

In contemporary love poetry throughout the eras, even the divine is accorded a sense of humor. In other words, having a sense of humor is not just part of man's unique makeup. Humor with respect to the divine, leads to laughter and joy, as well as being a tenderizer for man's heart. Those who deny the reality of the divine may not read humor into contemporary love poetry, but merely mock it instead.

Contemporary love poetry for children often includes humor on their various levels of understanding. Children enjoy delightful, humorous contemporary love poetry in every era, and at times, humor helps them to be happy, as well as to overcome some of the difficult or more painful aspects of their daily challenges in life.

Exaggeration is an important part of humor in contemporary love poetry, as it helps to make people laugh at themselves and at their own foibles. Life can be taken far too seriously and the contemporary love poet can use exaggeration and thus, humor, to ease their burdens.

Even the contemporary love poet may laugh at him or herself, in conjunction with his or her contemporary love poetry. After all, in every era, he or she is only human. The contemporary love poet may laugh or poke fun at others too, but in a fun loving way, as he or she pens his or her contemporary love poetry as humor.

Hopefully, love is at the heart of humor in contemporary love poetry, however it is expressed, and in whatever era it is penned by contemporary love poets. Humor, as the sublime or the ridiculous in contemporary love poetry, depends upon the perception of the critic, readers or others, in every era too.