To Win the Heart of a Stranger

To Win the Heart of a Stranger

To win the heart of a stranger, one must be:

Kind, complimentary,

Not to the point of over-flattering.

Prudent, wholesome, fully stable,

Educated, caring, wholly able.

Humorous, respectful, knowledgeable,

Not to mention exceedingly honorable.

Helpful, noble, gentle, tender,

Under control, as not to hurt her.

Witty, cleaver, humble, charming,

Not annoying or alarming.

Honest, refined, polite, sincere,

Proving to each of these adhere.

If one intends to win a stranger,

One must follow every rule.

Wisely keeping clear of danger,

Avoiding looking like a fool.

Attributes opposing these,

Are, in fact, quite crude and canny.

So apply said qualities,

As to become more gentlemanly!

Background: "To Win the Heart of a Stranger" was written back in December of 2010 after an encounter with a rather... Rude, individual. This piece was directly inspired by the exact opposite of who this person was. I got to thinking, "how on earth is this person going to meet somebody and get married... ?" Then I began considering the necessary attributes a person would need in order to attract an individual. At least, a majority of them. The meter is off, but the rhyme scheme is coherently consistent. This piece was written in a matter of minutes after considering the opposing attributes which the young person I met exhibited. Hopefully you have found that this poem has several elements of truth to it.

Basics: "To Win the Heart of a Stranger" details a Gentleman, giving another man advice on how to become more like him, in order to win the heart of one desired. Notice that there are no implications towards physical appearance being a key attribute in attracting one desired. All elements have to do a person's attitude/response. Winning a person is so much more than being the strongest, or fasted, or most handsome. To truly win someone over, one must possess qualities that surpass the physical realm.

Feel free to comment and criticize. I welcome all feedback.

Most sincerely,

~Jacob P. Hartges