An Internet meme, “It’s so much like love,” has created a stir and become viral recently in Taiwan — simply adding this phrase at the end of any sentence turns it into a short poem.
It all started with a photo of handwriting by an estate agent surnamed Wang, in which he hadwritten down step-by-step instructions: first write something that comes to you randomly, then conclude with “It’s so much like love,” and voila, you have a short poem. Written in June last year, the note only became viral in the last few weeks after being forwarded by Internet influencers.
The public sector has also jumped on the bandwagon, for example, as written on a policy poster of the Ministry of the Interior warning against illegal parking and double parking: “Forcing your way into an inadequate space you only end up getting yourself hurt; obviously there’s no room, but squeeze in regardless; it’s so much like love.”
Photo copied by Liu Wan-chun, Liberty Times 照片： 自由時報記者劉婉君翻攝
Some people pointed out that the meme “It’s so much like love” had been widespread among netizens in China last year, so Taiwan is lagging behind.
There are also writers who take it seriously and analyze it. They say that juxtaposing irrelevant sentences prompts the human brain to bridge the gaps to create meanings. What we write down is not something random, but our guided thoughts that have unconscious connections to love.
Love, what art thou? The whole nation is in search of the answer among games and trivial things.
(Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)
網路近來瘋傳「像極了愛情」新梗，在任何語句後面加上「像極了愛情」，就能變成一首簡單的詩。
帶起這風潮的人是王姓物業管理上班族，他在去年六月寫下這段文字，近來因轉傳而爆紅。他教大家寫詩的步驟：先隨意寫一段話，最後加上「像極了愛情」即完成。
連公部門的政令宣導也趕上流行，例如內政部規勸民眾不要違規停車與併排，便寫道：「強求卡位，吃虧的終究是自己，明明沒有位置，還要硬擠過來，像極了愛情」。
有網友指出「像極了愛情」這個梗去年即在中國網友間流行，台灣不過是後知後覺。
也有作家認真分析，不相干的句子並置後，人的腦袋會自動填補空隙，讓其產生意義。我們也不是「隨意」寫出這些句子，而是受到引導，已先在潛意識中搜尋出其與「愛情」的關聯。
「問世間情為何物」？全民在遊戲與瑣事間推敲答案。
（台北時報林俐凱）
A note written by an estate agent surnamed Wang lists the steps for writing a simple poem by just ending random sentences with “It’s so much like love.”
Let me show you how to write a poem:
Step 1. Write anything random
Step 2. Add “It’s so much like love” at the end
Step 3. Finish
Example 1.
The air-conditioning technician said he won’t come this week
Not sure if he will come next week either
It’s so much like love
Example 2.
In the morning it was sunny
But it rained heavily in the afternoon
It’s so much like love
Example 3.
She got into a Maserati
The way she left without even a look back
It’s so much like love
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