I used the above emoji in an email to a friend. But then I felt a bit remiss. Such a large emotion to squeeze into such a small means of expression.
I found myself pondering the gradual degradation of our use of language to express our affections for one another. There was a time when people would pen entire sonnets to express such thoughts.
The work of writing a sonnet creates its own ecosystem of emotional value. Rather than simply dash something off, you need to put time and care into the crafting of a sonnet, choosing with care the use of rhyme and meter that will best express your thought.
So I decided to face down four centuries of linguistic devolution and unroll the simple “<3" back up to the level of a full Shakespearean sonnet. Below is what I ended up sending to my friend. The effort was much appreciated.
A pair of symbols side by side I see
Which seem to speak of something “Less than Three.”
Yet other happy thoughts may lurk within,
Analysis is called for — let’s begin!
“Less than Three” — not less than Four or Five,
What other fine constraints might we derive?
First let’s not be negative, insist
That Zero is the first upon our list.
But Zero — what is left when all is gone
Would leave us nothing positive — move on.
Yet One will never do. It has been shown
That happiness is never found alone.
So now I see the symbols speak of Two:
The Love you have for me, and mine for you.
<3
But in honestly I do love it and would like to include it in my next wedding anniversary card (the inscription on my wife’s engagement ring is “<3").
That is very kind of you to say.
Yes, I would be honored if you would use it for that purpose.
Mind if my partner, Disa, attempts to make this the basis for a song?
Sure, that sounds like it could be really good. Just make sure to give proper attribution. 🙂