5 Ways to De-Stress

In this day and age, we have too many things piled up on our plates.  It can be difficult to stay on top of school or work with everything else we have going on.  I can't function, let alone write a paper with too much stress bubbling inside of me. What I've found to be instrumental to my personal productivity is finding small ways to de-stress.   Here are some of my own personal tried and true stress-relievers.  They don't take long and make it easier to face whatever tasks I have on my to-do list.

5. Read or watch a show

When I was an English/Theatre teacher, I often found myself in the midst of an 80-hour work week: a full day of school, followed by a full evening of rehearsals.  There were always a billion things I needed to be doing, but occasionally I would sequester myself during my lunch or prep period, and watch or read something.  An episode of Parks and Rec or a short chapter in a novel really helped me get away from it all, if only for 22 minutes or so.  For you, maybe it's listening to a podcast or reading a magazine.  The point is, find something you enjoy to let your mind escape for a little bit.

4. Drink more water

Almost all of us are a little dehydrated most of the time.  Drinking more water can help you feel fuller, happier, and healthier.  Because you're giving your body what it needs, you have more energy to get through your day and your stress starts to feel less overwhelming. 

3. Eat healthy 

When I'm stressed, it's easy to resort to eating fast food and other quick unhealthy options.  I use my stress as an excuse, telling myself that I "deserve it."  Deserve what?  Feeling like crap?  Eating food that's bad for you will only increase your stress level because you're throwing the guilt of poor eating choices on top of your already-heavy load.  Plus, your body is unable to run as well with a tank full of junk. 

2. Take a shower/bath

A shower is a great quick option for getting away for a few minutes.  Let that water wash away all your worries.  If you have a little more time, a bath is a great way to de-stress as well, especially if you have some Epsom salts and essential oils. Also, you're cleaning your body, so it's multi-tasking.

1.  Work out

Wait, wait!  Here me out. This doesn't have to be straight up going to the gym and lifting weights.  Any kind of exercise releases endorphins and helps you feel refreshed and energized. Plus, you're proud of yourself for doing it. I like playing Just Dance on my Wii, kickboxing, and going for walks, but there are all kinds of ways to get your heart-rate up.   One time, I went laser-tagging and found that to be an amazing way to release my pent up stress and anxiety.  I stalked my way through the course like I didn't give a darn, shooting every enemy player that I encountered.  By the end, I was sweaty, smiling, and I felt like a boss after totally dominating the game. So whatever gets you moving--roller blading, skate boarding, surfing, yoga--do it.  It'll help relieve tension.


Whether you're a CEO, or a stay-at-home mom, life is stressful.  You have to find ways to unwind a little, or you'll explode.  Then you'll be able write, lead, teach, work, learn, etc. much better.  Trust me.

Until next time, I remain your zen Online Writing Tutor,
Mrs. B

How to Write a Transition

An essay is a lot like a train route, where each station is a topic, point, or paragraph, and each stretch of track is the transition from one topic to the next.  Sometimes what needs the most work are the stations themselves: your thesis, your paragraphs, your conclusion, etc.  Sometimes, however, it's the track that needs a little maintenance.

Does your essay seem choppy, jumpy, or disjointed?  Have you received feedback that your arguments are hard to follow, or that they lose your train of thought (pun intended)?  These are clear signs that your track needs some work.

What is a transition?  It's a segue from one thought to another.  It connects two ideas helping the flow of your essay, paper, email, etc.    There are many different kinds of transitions, or stretches of train track, to help you get from station to station--let's take a look at a few:

1.  List track

When you are making a list in your paper and each individual item becomes it's own station, the list track will help you transition from item to item.

• First, chocolate is a popular confection that can be found in almost every culture across the world....Second, chocolate is versatile in its applications, being used in sweet and savory treats....Finally, chocolate can come in multiple forms, such as milk, dark, and white, finding a way to please almost every palette. 

You can also use next, then, one, two, three, lastly, etc.  These are short, simple ways to let us know you're going from one station of thought to another. 

2. Compare/Contrast track

Sometimes you're showing us that one station is like another station, or that they are not alike at all.  For the first, you can ride the compare track.  For the second, take the contrast track.  

• Compare track:
• Also, peanut butter is frequently used in candies and treats
• Similarly, peanut butter can be found in sweet and savory dishes.
• In the same way that people enjoy chocolate flavoring, people often crave the taste of peanut butter. 
• Other examples: likewise, like, so too, just as, in like manner, additionally 
• Contrast track:
• Caramel is a popular pairing with chocolate, but peanut butter is favored by many.
• Peanut butter, however, adds a little savory spike to the sweetness of chocolate. 
• On the other hand, peanut butter can't be enjoyed by those with nut allergies. 
• Other examples: be that as it may, contrasting, in spite of, nevertheless, nonetheless, though, still, yet

3. Evidence track

Often times you have a station dedicated to examples and evidence and it can be tricky to get there.  These are some tried and true transition tracks to get you there.

• For example, more people at restaurants choose chocolate desserts than non chocolate desserts (I made this up, but it's probably true.)
• For instance, women in the media are often shown to be chocolate addicts, even Commander Troi from Star Trek TNG.

You can also use e.g. (example given) and such as

4. Addition track

When you have more to add or build, one of these can come in handy.

• Additionally, dark chocolate has a few health benefits.
• Furthermore, chocolate has been proven to make you happier. (Made this one up too, but I think it's true.)
• Moreover, chocolate can go with just about any topping you can imagine. 

5. Ending track

It can be hard to know how to wrap it all up and transition from your last station to your conclusion station.  These are all great ways to do that.

• In conclusion, chocolate is the best dessert on the planet.
• To conclude, if people consumed more chocolate, they would be happier.
• In short, it's important to consider how much chocolate is healthy for a person to consume. 
• Finally, chocolate is always a good gift choice. 
• To summarize, it's important to analyze the pros and cons of each dessert choice.

Many variations exist for the ending track.  Pick one that suits you best.

Transitions can happen at the end of paragraphs, during paragraphs, and sometimes even during individual sentences.  The whole idea is that you're connecting the previous idea with the next one so that we follow your train of thought.  Don't leave us at one station when you're headed to the next!

Until next time, I remain your friendly neighborhood Online Writing Tutor,

Mrs. B

Grammar Help

I had a request a little while ago to create a post with a list of grammar help websites, so here we go:

1. Grammarly.com is a great reliable resource for all your grammar needs.  You can even install a button on your browser so that it'll help you when you write anything online.  You can also search for specific questions:  https://www.grammarly.com/blog/comma/

2. ProWritingAid.com has a bunch of different helps for the writing process and they have a great section just for grammar:  https://prowritingaid.com/en/Blog/Category/10/Grammar-Rules

3. Grammar.com has a text box where you can insert writing and it'll check errors for you.  They also have a bunch of articles on grammar issues, from punctuation to affect vs. effect.  https://www.grammar.com/

4. Englishgrammar101.com is easy to navigate and has little modules set up to teach you about grammar concepts one step at a time, or you can click around to any lesson in any order. 

I also recommend getting any of the grammar books by Mignon Fogerty "The Grammar Girl."  She's brilliant. 

There will also be a series on certain grammar issues on this blog.  Anything you want me to start with?

Hope this is helpful!  Until next time, I remain your grammar conscientious Online Writing Tutor,
Mrs. B

Figurative Language: Hyperbole

I'D RATHER DIE THAN USE HYPERBOLE!

Well...that was hyperbole.

Hyperbole (Pronounced "Hi-per-bowl-ee") is exaggeration.  You probably use it all the time on a day-to-day basis.  Exaggerations can add personality and flavor to writing.  Here are some examples:

• I'm starving to death (you're probably not actually starving to death, but it's more interesting than saying "I'm really really hungry")
• It's pouring buckets (I'm sure buckets aren't actually falling from the sky, but now we know that it is raining A LOT.)
• It's worth a million bucks (chances are, whatever you're talking about doesn't really cost a million dollars, but now we know that it's very expensive.)
• He's the cutest baby in the world (that would be impossible to prove, but it lets us know that he's a REALLY cute baby.  By the way...my baby is definitely the cutest in the world :) ) 

Hyperbole works best in dialogue and narrative writing.  It can add a nice flavor to the voice of a formal piece, but you have to be careful because exaggerations often come across as too general and casual in those settings.  

And there you have it.  Pretty simple.  Now go out there and hyperbole it up!

Until next time, I remain your silly Online Writing Tutor,

Mrs. B

Hook Me Up (with essay hooks)

Your essay should grab your reader right from the get-go: snatch their attention, pique their interest...hook 'em.  So how do you do that?

A "hook" is a catchy sentence (or two) at the beginning of your essay that grabs the attention of the reader. You can also use hooks at the beginning of individual paragraphs.  Hooks can be interesting, mysterious, thought-provoking, or even funny.  Here are several different kinds of hooks you can try:

1.  Introduce an interesting fact

Start with something interesting about your topic that the reader likely doesn't know yet.

• With several shopping establishments charging extra for plastic bags, and many others banning them entirely, reusable shopping bags are sweeping the nation.   

2.  Use a quote

If you're writing about a book, it can be a good idea to start your essay with an important quote from that book, one that touches on the theme(s) you're going to discuss. 

• "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (Lee, 39).  (From To Kill A Mockingbird)

If you're writing about a topic, it's often effective to find a quote about that topic from someone you find credible.  

• Dr. Shinichi Suzuki once said, "Knowledge is not skill. Knowledge plus ten thousand times is skill." 

3. Tell a story

Stories from history, personal stories, parables, and fables can all make for interesting hooks.  

• Walt Disney was told that no one would come to see a full-length animated cartoon.  Everyone told him he was crazy, but he followed his dream, pushing through uncertainty and doubt.  Because of his persistence, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs went on to be one of the most successful films of all time. 

4. Describe a scene

Give a tangible description of something or someone to help us visualize what you're going to be talking about.

• Factories in the late 19th century smelt like sweat.  Men, women, and children spent their days doubled over machinery for hours, everyone and everything covered in grime. 

5.  Tell a joke 

Humor can be a fun way to start off an essay.  A joke about a particular issue can be a good way to transition into talking about it, but humor doesn't work well with every topic (such as human trafficking, or drug addiction) so be careful with this one.

• Diapers are like politicians: they should both be changed frequently. 

6.  Post statistics 

Facts and numbers show us you are prepared and have drawn from credible sources. They are also down-right interesting. 

• "29% of California's air pollution is from China."  Source here.

7.  Ask a rhetorical question

This is my least favorite kind because it's overused,  but it can still work well.  Rhetorical questions are questions that have obvious answers, and this can be a fun way to start an essay.  The audience wonders how you're going to address the topic and what new information you're going to offer. 

• Where do children learn racial prejudice? 
• Are teenagers addicted to cellphones? 

Any of these 7 methods can be wonderfully effective to hook a reader.  Once you've got em' hooked, lay out a brilliant thesis, and then you're on your way to an amazing essay.

Check out this great website for even more ideas on hooks: https://pro-essay-writer.com/blog/essay-hooks

Until next time, I remain your humble Online Writing Tutor,

Mrs. B

Figurative Language: Personification

This can be so much fun when it's done right. 

Personification is giving human traits to something non-human.  Here are a few examples:  "the sky was crying,"  "the trees danced in the wind," "the car groaned in protest," etc. 

Personification is a great way to describe something.  It can make a clearer picture for your reader.  Take a look at this boring description:

• I could hear sound of the water in the brook. 

Adding a little personification can make it much more fun:

• I could hear the giggling sound of the water in the brook. 

Common words used to given personification include: smile, dance, cry, sigh, groan, giggle, laugh, roar, whisper, and run.  

Be careful though, a little personification can go a long way.  You don't want a paragraph to look like this:

• The sun smiled upon the dancing field of grain as the trees stretched and yawned.  The air sighed, greeting the morning, the dawn running across the sky.  The ground laughed as the animals tickled the earth.

It just becomes a little much after a while.  

Also, don't confuse Personification with Anthropomorphism, which is where you make something not human, human-like...such as Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny.   Mice and bunnies aren't really like humans, but it's fun to imagine they are in cartoons and such.  That's anthropomorphism, not personification. 

Until next time, I remain you faithful Online Writing Tutor,

Mrs. B

Inserting a Quote Into Your Writing

Teachers are always harping on evidence: evidence, evidence, evidence.  Why?  Because evidence is important.  It helps to prove, back-up, and justify your point. 

There are many different types of evidence to include in your writing, but the one I'll be focusing on today is arguably the most common:  quotes.   Quotes are excerpts from other people that help fortify your own points and arguments.  They strengthen your argument because they show that other people share your opinion, and you'll often find facts and statistics with results that assist in proving your point. 

But it can be tricky to know how to do quotes right.  Here are some quick tips:

1.  Look for credible sources to pull from

Your quotes won't serve as good evidence if they come from sketchy sources.  Books in your school's library will be credible, and newspapers are good to pull from.  Most of us, however, look for sources online.  Sources that have a .org or .edu are a good indication of credibility.  Online scholarly journals and reputable newspapers are also good.  Try to see if you can identify an author.  If there's no author attached to the article, better to skip it and find one that has an author listed.  Avoid websites with crazy weird colors and trippy fonts.  If it looks unprofessional, it probably is.  Also, websites like Wikipedia are not great because just about anyone can get on there and make edits.

2.  Use quotes that add substance

A quote isn't good evidence if it doesn't actually say anything.  "Smoking is bad" isn't a substantial quote.  It's general and obvious.  "Smoking causes bad breath, yellowing teeth, and leads to lung cancer" is a quote that actually brings up some points worth noting.  It's specific and informative. 

3.  Watch for quote length

Don't use quotes that are too long or too short.  Too long, and we'll wonder why we're reading your essay instead of theirs.  Too short, and it likely won't have any substance.

4. Don't leave the quote alone

Quotes are needy, and can't be left alone.  They like to be introduced, and they really like commentary.  An introduction looks like this:  Dr. Frank Alley of Clock magazine wrote, "Smoking causes bad breath, yellowing teeth, and leads to lung cancer." 

Commentary looks something like this:  Basically, Dr. Alley is saying that smoking causes health and hygiene problems.   Don't let the quote have the last word, add onto it.  Tell us what you wanted us to get out of the quote.  Here are a few sentence frames to help with commentary:

• In other words, ________________________________________________
• What ___________ really means by this is ______________________
• To put it another way, ______________________________________
• In sum, then, ______________________________________________
• In short, ______________________________________________________
• Basically, ________ is saying ___________________________
• In other words, ________ believes _________________________
• In making this comment, ____________ urges us to ____________
• ______’s point is that ________________________________
• The essence of _________’s argument is that __________________

Having good commentary will take your writing to the next level.

5.  Cite your sources

This is the most important because you don't want to accidentally plagiarize.  Make sure that you do the correct in-text citations and a works cited page.   Owl at Purdue is a great resource for the different styles of citations:

MLA

APA

Chicago

6. Quotation marks

Whatever you do, don't forget to put the quotation marks around the quote.  Believe it or not, I had students do this all the time, and it makes it look like you're plagiarizing.


And there you have it.  Easy.  If you follow these 6 steps for inserting quotes as evidence, you will be good to go.

Until next time, I remain your tired (my baby woke up early today) Online Writing Tutor,
Mrs. B

8 Ways to Get Motivated

Sometimes the hardest thing about writing is getting motivated.  I get it...and I've totally been there.  All the anxiety that swims inside of you threatens to burst out at the mere thought of starting to write.  What if you can't think of anything?  What if it sucks?  What if you can't finish?  Might as well not even try, right?

WRONG!  Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Here are some strategies to get yourself motivated to tackle your project.  These not only go for writing, but anything you're a little apprehensive to start.

1. Take a walk

When I've been struggling to know where to begin or how to proceed on a project or assignment,  I go for a walk.  It allows you to think while moving, which I believe helps your brain work better.  Even if I don't start out thinking about the assignment, my mind will eventually go there and I begin to work out the problems I've encountered.

Even if you don't actually think about your project, the fresh air and exercise will do you good.  It can be a short walk or a long walk, whatever you need.

2. Prepare a reward

Plan for something really awesome once you finish your project...a prize of some sort.  It could be watching an episode of your favorite show, or eating a treat.  Maybe you'll go buy yourself something.  It's an incentive to get it done. 

3. Give yourself a deadline

Teacher deadlines feel oppressive, but personal deadlines are empowering.  Give yourself a reasonable deadline before the teacher's and meet it.  You'll be amazed at how good you feel.

4. Take it a little at a time

This one only works if you have some time to work with, but it can be really helpful.  Start working on it early, but don't plan on finishing the whole thing.  Set a timer for 20 minutes and work on it for that amount of time.  The next day, set another timer for 20 minutes, and so on and so forth.  This can break a large project into small manageable chunks...and if you find yourself hitting your stride, you can go as long as you want. 

5. Work with a group

A study group can make the process fun, and gives you people to bounce ideas off of.  You can also proof-read and double check for each other.  But pick your group members carefully--you want to make sure you won't distract each other too much.

6. Do the header

This may sound silly, but I'm serious.  Just getting your header on there--name, date, period, title, etc.--can feel like a huge boost.  It's a start, and can help you get underway.  (To read the first page of Katniss's essay, click here.)

7. Eat a snack

Bring some chips, a bowl of popcorn, a banana, or a candy bar to your desk or work area.  Allow yourself to munch while you work.  No one likes to work on an empty stomach. (Just don't make a mess.)

8. Remember that the sooner you do it, the sooner it's done. 

The longer you put if off, the more stressful it'll become.  Just bite the bullet and get to work.  You'll thank yourself later. 


Until next time, I remain your motivating Online Writing Tutor,
Mrs. B

Figurative Language: Imagery and the 5 Senses

One of the most important types of figurative language is imagery.  To use imagery is to be descriptive.  Very descriptive.  It's like painting a picture with your words. 

An easy way to approach this is to use the five senses.

Let's start with a basic sentence with no imagery:

• I walked in and mom was making cookies.

There's not a whole lot going on here and it's boring.  Let's start adding to it slowly using the five senses.  I'll start with sight:

• I slumped into the bright kitchen where mom hovered over the granite countertops, rolling a second batch of cookies into balls. 

Can you picture some of the things described?  Now let's add a little more using smell:

• I slumped into the bright kitchen, where I was greeted by the wafting smell of chocolate chip cookies drifting towards me.  My mom hovered over the granite countertops, rolling a second batch of cookies into balls. 

Smell is a powerful sense and makes for powerful imagery...or should I say "smellery."  Let's add some sound and touch now:

• I slumped into the bright kitchen, where I was greeted by the wafting smell of chocolate chip cookies drifting towards me.  The air was warm and wrapped itself around me like a blanket. Mom hovered over the granite countertops, humming to herself as she rolled a second batch of cookies into balls. 

To add taste, I'd throw a sentence like this on the end:

• I could almost taste the melting chocolate on my tongue already. 

Not every scene can incorporate all five senses, but you can always incorporate at least four of them.  You should always try for five.  Imagery peps up any kind of writing, making it more tangible, interesting, and relatable.  

Feel free to comment below with a scenario that you'd like me to write with imagery, or share one you did yourself.  

Until then, I remain your humble Online Writing Tutor,

Mrs. B

Paragraphs: Put on Your Pants

Writing a good paragraph is pretty simple. Think of it as putting on your pants:

1. Topic sentence (putting your feet in the pants)

This is the first thing you have to do.  It's hard to put on your pants if you skip this first step. Likewise, it's hard to write a good paragraph without a topic sentence. This is your paragraph opener.  It introduces the topic of the paragraph and acts as an opener for the rest of it.  Basically, it presents a point, which you then spend the rest of the paragraph proving.  Here's an example:

• Cream puffs are an essential dessert to include in any party spread. 

2. Supporting sentences (pulling up the pants)

The pants are around your ankles, the next step is to move them up your legs. There should be at least three supporting sentences to give your topic sentence the support it needs. Without this support, your paragraph won't have legs to stand on (see what I did there?).  Depending on the kind of assignment you're writing for, these sentences should include evidence and quotes from outside sources. These sentences answer "because" for your topic sentence.  I'll continue my example:

• Cream puffs are an essential dessert to include in any party spread.  They are a finger food, which makes them easy to eat.  Additionally, they are easy to serve and clean up after.  It also helps that they are delicious and satisfying.

3. Support for your support (zipping the pants)

While three supporting sentences cover the minimum, throw in some more support with examples and further clarification.  This tightens up your points, like a zipper, and holds them in place:

• Cream puffs are an essential dessert to include in any party spread.  At a party, people often move around to visit with all the different guests while they eat.  Because of that, foods that require a knife and fork become cumbersome.  Cream puffs, however, are a finger food, making them easy to eat in a party situation.  Another common occurrence at parties are messes: setting up the food, cleaning up plates and serving dishes, etc.  Unlike many desserts, cream puffs are easy to serve--all that's needed is a cute bowl--and they're easy to clean up because the pastry confines the messy cream.  But the biggest advantage to cream puffs is the fact that they are delicious and satisfying.  The flaky pastry exterior and sweet cream filling please even the pickiest palates.  

(Some people hate it when you start a sentence with "but."  Check with your teacher on that point.  I never minded it.)

4. Conclusion (the button)

You need a button to finish it all up.  If you leave a paragraph without a conclusion, it's like walking around with your pants un-buttoned, which is only acceptable right after Thanksgiving.  A conclusion wraps it all up.  Here's a sample conclusion to the cream puff example:

• The guests will eat them up...literally.

or

• Cream puffs will never let a party host down. 

There are your basic components for writing a good paragraph...and for putting on your pants.  I hope this was helpful for one, or both, of those things.

Until next time, I remain your humble Online Writing Tutor,

Mrs. B

How to Write a Love Poem

It's Valentine's Day!  The day when people rush out to buy chocolates, cards, and roses for their sweethearts.  But do you know which of these above items is shockingly overpriced?  CARDS!  Every year they seem to get more expensive.  But you don't have to submit to the man and pay those unreasonable prices. No, you can buck the system. 

Make your own.

All you really need for a homemade card is a nice message to your love, but if you really want to go the extra mile, write a poem.

I'm serious, poetry is not dead, and you'd be amazed at the effect it can have.  A blank verse poem can seem daunting, with its "freedom."  No worries, though.  There are different kinds of poetry formats to give you a template to work from.  If you're a newbie poet, give one of these a try for your Valentine's love poem.

1. Roses are Red...

If all you want is a simple, silly poem that doesn't take much effort, you can go with the old standby.  They typically go something like this:

Roses are red, (A)
Violets are blue, (B)
Candy is sweet, (C)
and you are too. (B)

Four lines.  Lines 2 and 4 need to end with a rhyme, and that's it. 

2. Villanelle

This is a beautiful poetry type.  Although it can seem daunting with it's 19 lines, it has 2 repeating rhymes and 2 refrains. An excellent example is Dylan Thomas's "Do not go gentle into that good night."   A typical villanelle looks like this:

You made me who I am today(Aa)
I was broken, but you gave me glue(1b)
You picked me up and showed me the way.(Ba)

When I cry, you tell me it'll be okay (2a)
There's nothing I wouldn't do for you (3b)
You made me who I am today (Aa)

When the sky was clouded and gray (4a)
When there wasn't an inch of blue (5b)
You picked me up and showed me the way (Ba)

I say the things you say (6a)
You do the things I do (7b)
You made me who I am today. (Aa)

You never need to worry if I will stay(8a)
To you my heart will always be true (9b)
You picked me up and showed me the way (Ba)

We are each others' molding clay (10a)
You fix me and I fix you too (11b)
You made me who I am today (Aa)
You picked me up and showed me the way (Ba)

Pretty simple, yeah? Maybe not? I promise once you start in, it'll go pretty fast.  You have the alternating repeating lines from the first stanza, and you have two rhymes throughout.  Make sure to pick words that have a lot of rhymes.  This website will help: RhymeZone. 

3. Limerick

This poem type is famous for being dirty or rude, but yours doesn't have to be.  This form is good for silly, funny love poems.  The rhyme scheme of a limerick is AABBA.  The "A" lines typically have around 7-9 syllables and the "B" lines have about 5.  Here's an example:

I love you so much my dear Jim, (A)
I'll kiss you when the lights are dim, (A)
Then you'll kiss me too (B)
Like you always do, (B)
And I'll say, "Your beard needs a trim!" (A)

The last line of a limerick is often a punch line, so you'll have to gauge whether this is the type of poem your Valentine would appreciate.

4. The Shakespearian Sonnet

Good ol' Billy Shakes coming to save us.  The Shakespearian Sonnet consists of 14 lines in Iambic Pentameter.  What that means, is that you have 5 "I ams" in a line.  "I am I am I am I am I am"

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks...."
   I      am    I       am    I          am  I     am  I      am 

The rhyme scheme goes like this:  ABABCDCDEFEFGG

I'd write my own, but the Bard's are better than anything I'd come up with for an example:

Sonnet 130

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; (A)
Coral is far more red than her lips' red; (B)
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; (A)
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. (B)
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, (C)
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; (D)
And in some perfumes is there more delight (C)
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. (D)
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know (E)
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; (F)
I grant I never saw a goddess go; (E)
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. (F)
        And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare (G)
        As any she belied with false compare. (G)

6. The Haiku 

This one is abstract and easy.  Three lines: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables.  No rhymes.

You're my Valentine.
You are my heart and my home.
Will you please get milk?


And there you have it: a poetry starter kit for you.  There are plenty of other poetry forms out there if you're interested in taking a look, but any of these 6 will be sure to win your Valentine's heart just as effectively...if not more so...than one of those cash-grabbing cards. 

Happy Valentine's Day from your faithful Online Writing Tutor,
Mrs. B