The Power of Words

Posted byjenniferannerainesPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lots of people have lots to say about the power of words. And there are words everywhere—in our message groups, on our social media feeds and on our screens. That’s before you add books, journals, magazines and the steady stream of printed words we encounter wherever we turn.

I’m also thinking of romance because that’s my jam. In romance, words are often accompanied by music. The noun serenade can be traced to the first half of the 17th century. A serenade was a vocal performance by a lover to their loved one, usually at night, often below a window or balcony. Shortly afterwards, it became a verb, to perform a serenade. Over time, serenades became bigger events, written by major composers—think Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Stravinsky and others, performed with multiple instruments and then for groups of people.

Romance has been a mainstay of music forever. Any genre of music you care to name from opera to rap includes love songs—new love, lasting love, second chance love, failed love, betrayal, deceit, even love being the catalyst to set you free to be your true self.

But today, I’m thinking of the written word, unaccompanied by images—particularly the fake and AI generated images designed to mislead or manipulate us—and the written word unaccompanied by music. Old-fashioned black type standing out on a white page. In particular, I’ve been thinking about poetry.

I struggled with poetry at school. I read voraciously, but couldn’t quite get the hang of poetry. Until Georgette Heyer’s romances. In my senior years at school, it was Heyer’s Venetia, with its love story of Venetia and Damerel, that sent me scurrying to the library to trace references. The emotional impact was huge. The hero, Damerel cursing that the gods won’t:

“annihilate . . . space and time“

Unspoken is the next line from Alexander Pope’s satirical biography Martinus Scriblerus

“And make two lovers happy.“

But the poem that I really wanted to read and understand started with two lines in the book. Remember, this was before widespread use of the internet, before AI was freely available, so the library was my go-to resource. The hero Damerel says:

“Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part.“

Venetia recalls the following line from the poem:

“Nay, I have done, you get no more of me;“

Wow! What a powerful black moment. The emotional devastation behind those two lines hit this young romance reader hard. Their shared knowledge of poetry and the second line implied, but not spoken aloud, strengthened the impact. They were shattered. I was shattered! But note that semi-colon at the end of the second line—there was more.

I remember when I found the actual poem, where I was, how thrilled I was. It was my giddy secret at the time. Michael Drayton’s From Idea (1619) Sonnet 61, Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part

“Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part.

Nay, I have done, you get no more of me;

And I am glad, yea glad with all my heart,

That thus so cleanly I myself can free.

Shake hands for ever, cancel all our vows,

And when we meet at any time again,

Be it not seen in either of our brows

That we one jot of former love retain.

Now at the last gasp of Love’s latest breath,

When, his pulse failing, Passion speechless lies;

When Faith is kneeling by his bed of death,

And Innocence is closing up his eyes—

Now, if thou wouldst, when all have given him over,

From death to life thou might’st him yet recover!”

I studied that poem. I memorised it. I tried to understand every tiny element, especially as I’d long since finished the book. I did sense some hope in the final lines.

So, I was pretty pleased to read Professor Emerita of English at the University of Toronto Anne Lancashire’s December 2020 article Venetia: Georgette Heyer’s Pastoral Romance

“Heyer, in her complex use of art/artifice, not only uses quotations to emphasize the physical tension between Damerel and Venetia but also counts on some of her readers to think more carefully about the sonnet than the emotionally-distraught Venetia does; for the sonnet’s last two lines suggest the possibility of a reunion of the lovers if the poet’s beloved initiates it, thus providing a hint of how the novel’s eventual happy ending will be effected.“

I’m no academic, but I was thinking of the place of poetry in romance novels recently when I was checking something in Grace Burrowes’s Lady Louisa’s Christmas Wish. Her lovers share a strong interest in and knowledge of poetry. Burrowes’s also uses it to further their romance. In contemporary romance we might use the words of a song, but I’ve rarely seen references to poetry.

While I came to appreciate poetry and love some poems, poetry isn’t my go-to for comfort. I have friends who write poetry, beautiful poetry, and marvel at their capacity to distil powerful ideas into a few lines. I wonder how many people who pore over Taylor Swift’s songs to find every ounce of meaning and emotion ever look at poetry not set to music?

My key takeaway was that poetry has power—in the moment and over time.

World Poetry Day was declared by UNESCO in 1999, “with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard”. It’s celebrated on 21 March, so if you’ve never read a poem before, check one out on 21 March 2026.

Upcoming 1: Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays Prepare for a holiday filled with romance! 

From Thanksgiving disasters to new holidays ready for happy memories or settling a score for love lost over Christmas to a chance meeting that turns to a rekindling of a past love, these holidays will warm your heart.

Nine best-selling and award-winning Inkspell authors share special origin holiday stories for your favourite romances, or sneak peeks into a new romantic couple navigating family time together. Inkspell’s Enchanted Holidays is the perfect anthology for readers and will quickly become your next favourite book!

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FPPM6G3J

KOBO- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/inkspell-s-enchanted-holidays

BN- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/inkspells-enchanted-holidays-inkspell-publishing/1148189678

APPLE- https://books.apple.com/us/book/inkspells-enchanted-holidays/id6751919923

Upcoming 2: Australian Romance Readers Association’s (ARRA’s) annual author signing for 2026.

I’ll be signing at ARRA’s A Romantic Rendezvous in 2026 in Sydney. I’m looking forward to chatting with you about TBR piles, what I’ve got coming out, what we love about romance, our favourite bookshops and trends. ARRA has been hosting romance book-signing events since 2009, and they are always so much fun. I can’t wait to see you there!

  • Brisbane—Saturday 21 March 2026 (Royal on the Park, 152 Alice Street, Brisbane)
  • Sydney—Sunday 22 March 2026 (Rydges Sydney Central, 28 Albion Street, Surry Hills)
  • Melbourne—Saturday 28 March 2026 (Novotel Preston, 215 Bell Street, Preston)
  • Perth—Sunday 29 March 2026 (Pagoda Resort and Spa, 112 Melville Parade, Como)

>>> Tickets are now on sale here! <<<

And don’t forget to join the ARR2026 Facebook Group for all the latest news.

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