Valentine for Ernest Mann

In “Valentine for Ernest Mann,” the notion of a valentine, or a mailed letter or card expressing romantic affection becomes something deeper and more intimate, without the typical romantic associations. Nye rejects the superficial commercial affiliations her readership might have with the notion of sending a valentine and instead, through her use of the surprising first line “You can’t order a poem like you order a taco” (Line 1), establishes that the tone and purpose of this valentine will be unexpected and different and will explore new themes. This valentine symbolizes human connection, communication, and empathy. In the poem, Nye asks the recipient to reconsider the kinds of things he thinks of as beautiful or ugly, all the way from the sock drawer to the “person you almost like, but not quite” (Line 28). The valentine opens outward, encouraging a larger sense of community and solidarity. Similarly, when Nye describes the story in the third stanza of the man who gave two skunks as a valentine, she emphasizes the need to reconsider the valentine as something more profound. For the man in the poem, the valentine was a way of sharing beauty with his wife, even if she did not see it that way.