Inner beauty goes beyond physical beauty………….

“My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world” is a Russian Folk Tale by Reyher, Rebecca Hourwich, which has a very touching message behind the simple tale. The setting of the tale is at the wheat field, where the villagers were harvesting the wheat. At that time, Varya, a little girl who was lost went searching for her beloved mother.The villagers around her felt pity of her and kept asking her how does her mother look like. She gave an innocent description of her mother by saying: “ My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world.” They searched for her mother, and brought forth many beautiful woman for her to identify, however each time they brought one, she will deny. 

The most touching part of the tale was when a woman who did not portray any external beauty emerged before her, surprising.... that’s her mother! The mother hugged and kissed her child, revealing the affection bond between a mother and daughter. I felt that the little girl’s confession reflected her spontaneous and sincerity of her heart and has an implied message of moral value behind this incident that is internal beauty can only be felt by the heart and goes beyond physical beauty. Although this is a classical folk tale, the lesson that we can learn connects until today, so I feel that this is kind of folk tale can be adapted in teaching literature using role-play and simulation which can create a student-centered class. When students are given the chance and room to dramatize the roles by being in the shoes of the characters, they would understand and appreciate the literature lesson and learn from the moral of the story. This is a way to create interest and arouse the passion in reading, learning and understanding the traditional literature texts which are rich in moral values and meaningful messages.

Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese born American philosophical essayist, novelist and poet once said:

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart

Benjamin Franklin, in Poor Richard's Almanack, 1741, wrote: Beauty, like supreme dominion, Is but supported by opinion

David Hume's Essays, Moral and Political, 1742, include:"Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them."

a dream of freedom ….a reality at last……

I was truly amazed when I read the famous speech “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He presented his inspiring speech on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. His speech moved the hearts of those who listened attentively as he used rhetorical method which is the art of persuasion in speaking and writing. Besides that, he also used metaphors, repetition and inspirational thoughts in his speech. The theme of the speech is expressed throughout the speech through identification and racial equality & uniting, historical background, repetition and regarding certain situation that should be corrected. The power of his speech educated, inspired, motivated the black Americans specifically and the whites generally as he managed to stir the will and determination to uphold humanity and release the sense of freedom by breaking the racial sentiment that disunites and cause discrimination.

 The metaphors which he used in his speech made his speech more interesting and entertaining. Examples of metaphors he used are: “beacon light of hope “, “flames of withering injustice”, “long night of their captivity”, “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination”, “ island of poverty” , “vast ocean of material prosperity”, “ to cash a check”, “architects of our republic”, “defaulted on this promissory note”, “cash this check”, “a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice”, “tranquilizing drug of gradualism”, “dark and desolate valley of segregation”, “quick sands of racial injustice” , “oasis of freedom and justice”, “hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope” and “jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood”. The repeating words of “I have a dream that one day……..” is a determination, an aspiration of a strong will and heart to visualize the hope on a certain, specific day, where agony, discrimination and injustice will be replaced with the hope for the future that is free at last. I also feel that the classical appeals through proposing, demanding, persuading truly created the sensation that visualized the theme of “I have a Dream in the final part of the speech through his repeated words “free at last” : "Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

Below is the link of the speech “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

The internal and external conflicts .....

I found “Shooting An Elephant” an essay by George Orwell, as a very interesting essay which reflected his personal thoughts and experience, combined with his political views. Orwell 's metaphoric descriptive words enliven the story, and arouse the readers to read on. The themes of conscience, culture clash, prejudice and tolerance blends well in Orwell’s narration. Even though he is European, he is against imperialism because it’s unfair and oppressive. The internal and external conflict faced by him is revealed throughout the narration of the story. Being a sub-divisional police officer in a town in Burma was a real challenge to him as Europeans are unwelcomed in the country. One day, he was ordered to do something about an elephant which was ravaging the bazaar and caused havoc in the neighboring villages. Orwell was facing internal conflict when the crowd who followed him wanted him to shoot the elephant as he did not have the intention to shoot it. Orwell uses metaphors to make the essay interesting, for example, when he compares himself to being a magician about to perform a trick, or as being a lead actor in a piece, and even an absurd puppet, a posing dummy, and to be wearing a mask! The elephant itself symbolizes the Imperialism, which is going through the critical moments of survival as they were hated by the local people. As the crowd grew larger in number, (which is actually the external conflict that surrounded Orwell) he began to feel the pressure and inner torment as he is being forced to shoot the elephant, Orwell uses repeated words such as “tortured,” “dreadful,” and “agony” as his style of language to convey his internal conflict. In fact the elephant itself is described by Orwell “immensely old,” “grandmotherly,” and “senile,” which are figurative language used by him to reflect his internal guilt over harming and killing the elephant which “seems” to be innocent. Orwell in the end killed the elephant to avoid public humiliation, as he mentioned in his last words “ I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool”

The essay can be read at the following link:

http://www.george-orwell.org/Shooting_an_Elephant/0.html

Developing a high level of positive self esteem

Assalamualaikum beloved brothers and sisters, Developing a high level of positive self esteem can make us be an optimistic person who can handle daily life situations, conflicts, resisting negative pressures, dealing with trials and tribulations and eventually develop good interpersonal and intrapersonal skills as a true muslim in our daily life for the sake of Allah. Positive self esteem is believing in oneself, having self respect, allowing the love to grow in us, developing the ability to accept ourselves in a positive way and the ability to avoid depression and living a tranquil life in Allah’s Love and Light. Besides that, high level of positive self esteem is self-confidence which involves beliefs about ability and future performance. Our inner self will be self esteemed where we are able to balance love, honesty and truth to build self-confidence and be competent to cope with life’s challenges and live a worthy life for the sake of Allah.

Developing a high level of Emotional Intelligence(EQ)

Assalamualaikum,

Developing a high level of emotional intelligence is an important matter as it involves the ability to control our emotional and cognitive thoughts in a motivated, optimistic and meaningful way. The ability to recognize our own behavior and the behavior of others and the emotional strength to manage life’s situation will lead us to a successful life, inshaAllah.

A true muslim believer with a high level of emotional intelligence is a person who can touch and win the hearts of others, as he is more trusted, resilient, intrinsically motivated, optimistic, his heart filled with love and empathy, which can melt stress and conflicts in life. Thus, by possessing a high level of emotional intelligence competence can help us develop good intrapersonal and interpersonal skills and the ability to manage daily life situation successfully on our pathway to be true muslims, inshaAllah………

The Fruits of Fear:

Imam Ghazali (May Allah have mercy on him) said:

‘Fear rips away desires and muddens luxuries so that cherished sins become reprehensible, just as a honey lover is repelled by it when he learns that it has poison in it. This is how fear burns desires; disciplines the organs; subordinates the heart and gives it tranquility. It also enables the heart to rid itself of pride, hatred, and envy; and it leaves it absorbed in it (fear). Hence, the heart becomes preoccupied with its own worries and looks towards its best interest in the long run. It is then engaged in only matters like meditation, self-analysis and struggle. It cherishes its time and moments.’

[Ihya: 4/160]

A home filled with barakah

A home filled with barakah is a home filled with love, happiness and serenity, embroidered with responsibility and empathy, furnished with honesty, loyalty and trustworthiness.......creating a blissful atmosphere overflowing to the community around..........

May Allah grant us the ability to make our love strong, true and great

as where there is strong love, there is always endurance

where there is true love there are always blessings

where there is great love there are always miracles………………

making our homes filled with barakah, inshaAllah……..

Allah (SWT) says, “And Allah has made for you in your homes an abode.” (Surah Al Nahl: 80)

The Importance of Kinship in Islam
Maintaining Silat ur-Rahm (Family Ties) is an Islamic Obligation By Khalid Baig
http://www.albalagh.net/food_for_thought/0002.shtml

Shar'ee Prescriptions for Barakah in Rizq (sustenance) Ml. Ashraf Ali Thanwi [ra]
http://www.al-inaam.com/tasawwuf/pbarakah2.htm

with love and du'as always,

a candle that lights along

I felt that reading the autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., a black American, is truly inspiring and motivating as he is a key personality in the civil rights movement in America, who fought for freedom and equality for all people. His strive to bring the message of peace and love , being like a candle that lights along, bringing new hope and joy in the lives of those in need. . He led campaign after campaign in the streets of America to uphold the sense of humanity and legal protection among the poor and also the black Americans. At the age of 39, he was shot in the neck by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee, on 4^th April 1968 when he was leading a protest against low wages and the terrible working conditions faced by sanitation workers. Although his struggles lasted for only a few years until his death, the inspiration of bringing peace and love continues to live on…….

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

"I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their tired bodies, education and culture for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and non-violent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land 'and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.' I still believe that we shall overcome."

determined dreams.........

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

This is another poem written by Langston Hughes, which conveys the message of the need to have the determination to accomplish whatever we aim or strive for in life . In the first stanza, “Hold fast to dreams” implies that a person needs to continue to believe in his ability and aim for what he visualizes for his future success. Then Langston Hughes personifies life, by stating that life is a broken-winged bird if one let the dreams die. It means a person will meet failure if he let go his dreams before accomplishing his desired aims in life. He will also lose his strength to move on physically, emotionally or spiritually to make his dream become a reality. In the second stanza, “Hold fast to dreams” is repeated again to emphasis on the importance of being a person who has mission and vision in life. Langston Hughes personifies life once again by stating “ Life is a barren field, frozen with snow" if dreams go. It shows that there is no harvest to reap as when he let go his dream, life will become unproductive, making it fruitless and meaningless.

pessimist or optimist?

James Mercer Langston Hughes, an African American was a poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright and columnist. His writings are categorized as marginalized literature in the marginalized ethnic group and he voice out issues and concerns from his life experience. I feel that his poem “Cross” is showing his vision of future generations, who practice multi-ethnic marriage, which has actually become a reality these days. The same situation occurs in Malaysia where we have multi ethnic marriage, so this poem can also be suitable to be taught in Malaysian secondary school where students have background knowledge on this matter. Multi ethnic marriage occurs in their family circle or in the society around them. The poem reflects the persona’s frustration from racialism and arouses us to contemplate what will happen in the future if discrimination prevails. The persona is as though wanting the readers to ponder on the consequences of practicing racialism in the society which will not only cause internal conflict in a person but also external conflict and to decide whether to be pessimist or optimist when facing the reality in life before turning into dust.

Cross by Langston Hughes

My old man's a white old man
And my old mother's black.
If ever I cursed my white old man
I take my curses back.
If ever I cursed my black old mother
And wished she were in hell,
I'm sorry for that evil wish
And now I wish her well
My old man died in a fine big house.
My ma died in a shack.
I wonder where I'm going to die,
Being neither white nor black?

love : pleasure or pressure?

Erica Mann Jong’s writing on literary text is categorized as marginalized literature for feminist writings .The rose in the poem written by her symbolizes love, pleasure, beauty. The persona received the love from a man but she was waiting to let the love bloom in her heart. By the time the love flows into her heart, she realizes the man’s love for her is beginning to fade. So, the persona tried to preserve the love she received from him but it perished as time moves on. She suffered the lost for years with pressure. She hopes for pleasure from the love she once received, so she took the effort to make it alive, but love was not lasting for her, turning from pleasure into pressure. In the last 2 stanzas I feel that the persona has reached to a reflecting and contemplating stage,in order to console herself, after going through bitterness of a love that has perished.

The Rose by Erica Mann Jong

You gave me a rose
last time we met.

I told myself
if it bloomed
our love would bloom,
& if it died--

O I did not

consider

the possibility.

It died.

Though I cut
the stem
on a slant
as my mother
taught me,
though I dropped
an aspirin
in the water,

it hung its head
like a spent cock
& died.

It stands
on my desk now--
straight green stalk,
blood-red clot
of bud
drooping
like a hanged man's
head.

Does this mean
we are doomed?
Does this mean
all lovers
are doomed?

O my love--
I have not read roses
as amulets
in seven years. . . .

Which doom
is worse?
To love
& lose?

Or to lose
love
altogether
& not care
whether roses

live or die?

unrequited love?

Offering

I came to you at sunrise

With silvery dew on sleeping lotus

Sparkling in my gay hands;

You put my flowers in the sun.

I danced to you at midday

With bright raintree blooms

Flaming in my ardent arms;

You dropped my blossoms in the pond.

I crept to you at sunset

With pale lilac orchids

Trembling on my uncertain lips;

You shredded my petals in the sand.

I strode to you at midnight

With gravel hard and cold

Clenched in my bitter fists;

You offered me your hybrid orchids

And I crushed them in my despair.

Hilary Tham who wrote the poem “Offfering” was born in Arlington, Virginia, grew up in Malaysia but died in Arlington. “Offerings” is one of her poems with the theme of relationship which can be considered as a good and suitable literary text for Malaysian secondary school students. Her poems are profound and realistic as they reflect the reality of life, touching the human factors that create deep insight.

In the poem I assume that “I” is a man while “you” is a woman. The flow of words from the first stanza until the last stanza creates an atmosphere of tense, desperation and passion of a man who is trying to win the heart of a woman whom he loves dearly. The different settings and flowers used in each stanzas reflects the persona’s determination despite the cold response from the woman whom he is in love with. His gestures in each stanza demonstrate his intense passion towards the woman.

I feel that the last stanza is truly arousing sympathy as it reflects an unrequited love. The midnight, gravel hard and cold creates the images of frustration as he clenched his fists in misery. In the following line, the woman offered him hybrid orchids which reflect the differences between the man and woman which might be the statues or level of knowledge. The most heart-breaking moments are when the man crushed the hybrid orchids as though he is crushing his dreams when he realized his love was an unrequited love.

My message on love

Living a life filled with LOVE can motivate us as LOVE can enhance human energy bringing success, happiness and tranquility. So we should open the room in our hearts, let the LOVE flow in, grasp the opportunity to learn the skills of LOVE to make the power of LOVE within our heart to grow and flow.

LOVE can change our lives and can be a force to make us move, to make us act upon our needs, but to heave the feeling of LOVE is not that easy, and most of the time LOVE is just said in actions. According to the great Persian Sufi Poet, Rumi (1207-1273), LOVE is the most difficult concept to define, "My pen splinters when I write LOVE.”

LOVE can give us the power to touch the human hearts; it blooms without season or reason as true LOVE is always presence and it grows in the midst of sorrow or joy, tears or happiness. Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese born American philosophical essayist, novelist and poet once said: “LOVE is the only flower that grows and blossoms without the aid of the seasons.”

Don’t wait to be loved, LOVE our own selves and pour out the LOVE within ourselves. Rumi said, “Your task is not to seek for LOVE, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

LOVE has no boundaries as LOVE is boundless. Rumi said: "This is LOVE: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet."

True love flows naturally through spontaneous expression embroidered with warmth, comfort, serenity, truth and beauty, in tears and joy in mutual sharing, giving more that expecting, sharing more that receiving, and most of all loving for the sake of God as it is the way of opening up the power of love within our hearts…………………..

With love,

Roses, roses, roses......

Below are my thoughts and reflections regarding the theme of

“The Sick Rose” by William Blake and “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns.

The Sick Rose By William Blake

O Rose, thou art sick!

The invisible worm

That flies in the night,

In the howling storm,

Has found out thy bed

Of crimson joy:

And his dark secret love

Does thy life destroy.

A Red Red Rose by Robert Burns

O my Luve's like a red, red rose

That's newly sprung in June;

O my Luve's like the melodie

That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry:

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun;

I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve,

And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my Luve,

Tho' it ware ten thousand mile.

In poetry the theme is the controlling idea of the whole poetry. The themes reveal the message or the meaning of the whole poetry. From my reflection both of the poems reveal the theme through the title. However the theme of the poems differs in its meaning.

The theme of the poem “The Sick Rose” by William Blake is about of a rose that has reached the end of its lifespan in the advent of the creeping winter. A rose usually symbolizes love, beauty and romance, but in this poem rose is sick reflects the damaged, hurt and destruction. The rose which is personified as an ailing woman was damaged by the worm which is personified as the man who has caused the harm to her. It is a poem that reveals the negative attitude of a man towards a woman whom he destroys to satisfy his lust. Where else in the poem “ A red,red Rose” by Robert Burns the theme is about a man who is deeply in love with his lover. The word red is repeated twice stress the great passion he has for his lover. It is a romantic love poem which has a positive attitude of a man towards a woman whom he loves by showing his great passion of love which is growing deeper and deeper each day.



Another comparison of the theme is regarding the dignity. In the “Sick Rose” the man destroyed the dignity of the woman. He ruin the life of a woman and caused her to be become ill. Where else in the “A Red,Red Rose” the man preserves the dignity of a woman whom he is in love with and even praised her beauty.

Besides that, another comparison of the theme is regarding responsibility. In the “Sick Rose” the man is an irresponsible person who does not care about woman. His intention is to ruin the life of the person he loves the wrong way, where else in “A Red, Red Rose” the man’s action reveal his steadfastness of being a responsible person. Even in the last stanza of the poem he said that he will return with a heart of love though he is ten thousand miles away from her.

Furthermore the theme of love in the “Sick Rose” is a secret love of a man towards a woman when he actually used a force and unhealthy way to get his love from the woman. His drastic action and impatient behavior has eventually caused the damaged in the woman whom he loved secretly. Thus it reveals the darker side of human nature. In “A Red, Red Rose” the man patiently and gradually release his love towards his lover. He even reveals his passion in a more decent way and he did not use any force. Burns used two similes to compare the love, the first is the man’s love is like a red,red rose and the second is his love is like the melodie. Both simile reflects a delicate form a love between a man and a woman. Hence, it reveals the brighter side of human nature.

Blake and Burns' choice of words made the language of poetry in those poems alive and arouse the interest of the readers to find the hidden message behind it. The use of symbolic and figurative language written by the writers have made both the poems very interesting and appealing to the readers’ senses.

In “The Sick Rose”, the poem ends with a depressive tone where the beautiful rose was blemished by the evil lust of a man but in “A Red, Red Rose”, the depth of the persona’s love prolong even when he has to say farewell: “And fare thee weel”, but he promises to return. Burns ends the poem in a tender , hopeful and inspiring note . Thus, after comparing the theme of both the poems it is obvious that both poems reflect the two contrary states of a human soul as “The Sick Rose” is a blemishing rose while the “A Red, Red Rose” is a blessings rose.

a place for poetry

Poetry is the spontaneous flow of expression conveyed in words which is organized into regular units called stanza to create rhythmical effects or sound patterns in lines. The lines are constructed by the poets into image, rhythm and sound. Sound devices, rhythmical patterns and compression of statements are the characteristics of poetry. Poetry is expressing the thoughts and feelings of a person and conveyed through beautiful, aesthetic expressions in words organized into stanzas which have denotative and connotative meanings.

Poetry can be identified by its form, and the way the poetry is patterned in concept or idea. Knowledge on the different types or categories can help a reader in his work of analysis. Among the types of poetry are epic, free verse, blank verse, ballad, metaphysical, mystical, spiritual, heroic couplet, lyrical ballad, lyric poetry, sonnets and limericks.

The theme of poetry is important as it is a general idea of what the poet is trying to convey to us through his poems and it reflects the poem’s intention in mood and tone. It makes the poetry meaningful when the message is conveyed in beautiful expression.

The expression of the words in the poetry should not be taken literally as poetry has figures of speech which are connotative in meaning. Thus the deeper meaning of words in the poetry needs to be understood to catch the feel and taste of the poetry. Each type of poetry has its own unique elements. Poets use figures of speech such as similes, metaphors, symbols, personifications, synecdoche, metonymies, hyperbole, paradox, anaphora, tautology, onomatopoeia, euphemism, ellipsis, litotes, antithesis, oxymoron, anaphor which are techniques they use to arrange and express the words so that there is life in each poetry that we read.

rabia's sufi poetry

In love, nothing exists between heart and heart.
Speech is born out of longing,
True description from the real taste.
The one who tastes, knows;
the one who explains, lies.
How can you describe the true form of Something
In whose presence you are blotted out?
And in whose being you still exist?
And who lives as a sign for your journey?

Rabia al-Adawiyya

rumi's sufi poetry

My heart tells me it is distressed with Him,
but I can only laugh at such pretended injuries.

Be fair, You who are the Glory of the just.
You, Soul, free of "we" and "I,"
subtle spirit within each man and woman.

When a man and a woman become one,
that "one" is You.
And when that one is obliterated, there You are.

Where is this "we" and this "I"?
By the side of the Beloved.
You made this "we" and this "I"
in order that you might play
this game of courtship with Yourself,
that all "you's" and "I's" might become one soul
and finally drown in the Beloved.

All this is true. Come!
You who are the Creative Word: Be
You, so far beyond description.

Is it possible for the bodily eyes to see You?
Can thought comprehend Your laughter or grief?
Tell me now, can it possibly see You at all?
Such a heart has only borrowed things to live with.

The garden of love is green without limit
and yields many fruits other than sorrow or joy.
Love is beyond either condition:
without spring, without autumn, it is always fresh.

Rumi - Mathnawi I, 1779-1794 - The Rumi Collection - Kabir Helminski

Imam al-Ghazali's astaghfaar

Imam al-Ghazali's astaghfaar surely touch the hearts of all readers.

"We ask forgiveness of Allah (Exalted is He!) for every stumbling on our part and for every slip of the pen in this and all our other books.

We ask His forgiveness for those of our words which have not been matched by our deeds.

We ask His forgiveness for the claims and professions of knowledge and insight into his religion which we have made despite our insufficiencies therein.

We ask His forgiveness for every science we have acquired and every action which we have undertaken for His noble sake, but which was then commingled with something else.

We ask His forgiveness for every covenant we made within ourselves but which we then fell short of fulfilling.

We ask His forgiveness for every blessing which He bestowed upon us but which we employed in disobedience to Him.

We seek His forgiveness for having declared or implied the shortcomings or the inadequacy of anyone.

And we ask His forgiveness for every passing notion which induced us to dissemble or be mannered for the sake of playing up to others, in any book which we have written, or any discourse which we have delivered, or any science which we have profited or profited from.

And after having asked His pardon for all these things, for ourselves and for whomsoever reads this book of ours, or copies it, or listens to it, we ask that He should honour us with His forgiveness and mercy, and overlook the entirety of our sins, both evident and concealed.

For all-encompassing is His generosity, all-abundant is His mercy, and His grace overflows upon all that He has made. And we who are of His making, find no path to Him but that which lies through His grace and munificence". (The Remembrance of Death, p. 252-253; Ihya', vol IV, p. 578).

This is his final dua.
"It is our hope that He will not deal with us as we deserve, but will rather grant us that which is appropriate to Him, in His generosity, abundant indulgence, and mercy". (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 582)

Islam and Poetry

By Mufti Bilaal Cassim
POSTED: 8 RAJAB 1423, 15 SEPTEMBER 2002

CHECKED AND APPROVED: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

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Q.) What does Islam say about poets and any type of poetry? Is poetry other than romance allowed in Islam? Please give me a detailed answer about the poetry and poets. [Ali]

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A.) Ubayy Ibn Ka'ab, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports Rasulullah (s.a.w) as having said; "Poetry contains (much) wisdom." (Mishkaat with Mirqaat Vol. 9 Pg. 122 Ashrafiyyah).

Mullah Ali Qari (r.a), a renowned Muhaddith explains that poetry containing truth, wise words, advices, useful parables, etc. that are of benefit to mankind, as well as those containing praises of Allah and Nabi , promoting abstinence from worldly luxuries, exhortation towards the Aakhirah and other aspects of Deen are indeed praiseworthy. Poetry devoid of these things is malignant and disliked. (e.g. songs containing lewdness or depictive of sins etc.) The words of the Qur'an (viz. "(As for) the Poets, only the misguided follow them. Can you not see their (aimless) wandering in the valleys, their statements devoid of action?" As-Shu'araa: 224-226) and the Ahadith maligning poetry refer to these kinds of poetry.

Thereafter he mentions that poetry is a form of speech and must be judged by the same standard. i.e beneficial poetry is like beneficial speech and useless and evil poetry like useless and evil speech) (Mirqaat VOl.9 Pg. 122 Ashrafiyyah).

From this principle we can deduce that recital or composition of romantic poetry is permissible (and even rewarding) only if it is for one's spouse with the intention of promoting love and tenderness and providing it is free of lewdness or obscenity, much the same as a loving or kind word. When not for one's spouse, it is not permissible.

And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best