Birthday Poetry

Though a child's birthday can be a highly festive occasion, adults' birthdays are often more personal. While a material gift is certainly appreciated by most adults, writing and presenting birthday poetry can be a special gift that touches the heart.

Writers and poets throughout history have been known to celebrate birthdays with the exchange of birthday poetry. One such person is satirist Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels. Swift was particularly fond of throwing and attending lavish birthday parties both for himself and his friends. Generally, these were accompanied by the reading of poetry. Swift made it a tradition to write a birthday poem for his good friend Esther Johnson annually the last nine years of her life. In 1727, on her last birthday, Swift's poem to his dear friend was bittersweet - a celebration of her life that also mourned her ill health.

Thankfully, most birthday poems are not so depressing. Many are written to express the love of a romantic partner. Others are written with a large dose of humor. This tradition has been adopted today by many birthday cards, which often attempt to combine humor and poetry. Not everyone enjoys their birthday, so, in these cases, a bit of humor and good cheer can be the best present.

Celebrating a birthday is a cultural practice performed by people around the world. Poetry and the art of language is also a global phenomenon, so combining the two is both practical and meaningful.