When it comes to selecting a Valentine’s Day gift, the possibilities seem endless. You could spend a little on some chocolates or a lot on jewelry. But sometimes the most meaningful gift does not come with a price tag, but comes straight from the heart.

The love letter

Lawrence poet Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg has been married for 23 years and still writes love letters to her husband.

“They’re the best gift I could ever give or receive,” says Mirriam-Goldberg, of Lawrence, who will be named Kansas Poet Laureate in July. “I’ve always thought that form of writing draws us toward poetry. It encapsulates a vast amount of what we can say in a small amount of time.”

But you don’t have to be a poet to create a meaningful letter to your beloved.

“All of us, when we can get out of our own way, can speak in our own native voice,” Mirriam-Goldberg says.

Where to begin

Mirriam-Goldberg advises potential love letter writers to have patience, as it may take some warm-up time, perhaps writing on a different subject, to get going.

“Sometimes we need a running start into writing, so just give it time. Speak from the heart and don’t judge what you’re doing,” she says.

She also recommends seeking inspiration in outside sources. One of her personal favorites is Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese #6.”

For those wanting a closer look into the craft, Heidi Raak of The Raven Bookstore, 6 E. Seventh St., recommends Molly O’Shaughnessy’s “Just Write: The Art of Personal Correspondence” as well as literary favorites such as “Rilke and Andreas-Salome” and “The Letters of Abelard and Heloise.”

And if you’re looking for something different, Raak suggests the recent historical fiction novel told entirely through letters, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.”

“I think it’s a great choice because it is a different genre and really shows how the power of words across distances can bridge souls,” she says.

The story and audience

Former Kansas Poet Laureate Jonathan Holden of Manhattan found Matthew Arnold’s poem “Dover Beach” a source of inspiration when writing what he considers his best love poetry. He reminds writers not to shy away from the crisis inherent in love.

“All achieved poems are stories, and all stories are conflict,” he says.

It also helps to keep the sensibilities of your reader in mind.

“The best tip I have learned from raising sons and having a husband is the note does not need to be long. Men like to get to the point rather than dwell on all the details,” says current Kansas Poet Laureate Denise Low, of Lawrence.

She also recommends avoiding clichés and being specific with endearing qualities or shared memories.

“A letter is a gift,” Low says. “We all have to do it in a different style. But you really need to make the other person feel adored.”