"Mild" has good connotations - reflects optimism and hopefulness Initially of recent relationships The speaker features an onion like a Valentine’s gift, rejecting common romantic symbols like roses. The onion itself is described metaphorically to be a “moon wrapped in brown paper” Donald Hall wrote this poem in free verse. https://bookmark-search.com/story18664675/a-secret-weapon-for-love-poem-on-valentine-s-day