I feel like love poems are probably one of the best ways to romance someone. It’s the perfect way to get your feelings across and let your significant other know how much they mean to you.
And whether you’re looking for poetry to show your unconditional love, some classics, contemporary pieces, or poems that talk about heartbreak and loss, you’re most definitely going to find exactly what you need.
Also, I personally read through and created this poetry collection just to make sure you were getting some good pieces. So go ahead and check them out, I hope you like them!
Classic Love Poems
These classic love poems by renowned poets will show your flair for traditional, old-school romance and make your loved one feel cherished.
1. Sonnet 43: “How Do I Love Thee?” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.”
2. “Love Song” by William Carlos Williams
“I lie here thinking of you:—
the stain of love
is upon the world!
Yellow, yellow, yellow
it eats into the leaves,
smears with saffron
the horned branches that lean
heavily
against a smooth purple sky!
There is no light
only a honey-thick stain
that drips from leaf to leaf
and limb to limb
spoiling the colors
of the whole world—
you far off there under
the wine-red selvage of the west!”
3. “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns
“O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.
So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve!
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.”
4. “Love and Friendship” by Emily Brontë
“Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree—
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?
The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair?
Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now
And deck thee with the holly’s sheen,
That when December blights thy brow
He still may leave thy garland green.”
5. “Song: to Celia” by Ben Jonson
“Drink to me only with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss but in the cup,
And I’ll not look for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise
Doth ask a drink divine;
But might I of Jove’s nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.
I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honouring thee
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not withered be.
But thou thereon didst only breathe,
And sent’st it back to me;
Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,
Not of itself, but thee.”
6. “The House of Life: 22. Heart’s Heaven” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
“Sometimes she is a child within mine arms,
Cowering beneath dark wings that love must chase,—
With still tears showering and averted face,
Inexplicably fill’d with faint alarms:
And oft from mine own spirit’s hurtling harms
I crave the refuge of her deep embrace,—
Against all ills the fortified strong place
And sweet reserve of sovereign counter-charms.
And Love, our light at night and shade at noon,
Lulls us to rest with songs, and turns away
All shafts of shelterless tumultuous day.
Like the moon’s growth, his face gleams through his tune;
And as soft waters warble to the moon,
Our answering spirits chime one roundelay.”
7. Sonnet 18: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” by William Shakespeare
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
8. “Meeting at Night” by Robert Browning
I
“The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i’ the slushy sand.
II
Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro’ its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each!”
9. “That I did always love” by Emily Dickinson
“That I did always love
I bring thee Proof
That till I loved
I never lived—Enough—
That I shall love alway—
I argue thee
That love is life—
And life hath Immortality—
This—dost thou doubt—Sweet—
Then have I
Nothing to show
But Calvary—”
10. “He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” by W.B. Yeats
“Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
11. “I loved you first: but afterwards your love” by Christina Rossetti
“I loved you first: but afterwards your love
Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song
As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove.
Which owes the other most? my love was long,
And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong;
I loved and guessed at you, you construed me
And loved me for what might or might not be –
Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong.
For verily love knows not ‘mine’ or ‘thine;’
With separate ‘I’ and ‘thou’ free love has done,
For one is both and both are one in love:
Rich love knows nought of ‘thine that is not mine;’
Both have the strength and both the length thereof,
Both of us, of the love which makes us one.”
12. Sonnet 22: “When our two souls…” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“When our two souls stand up erect and strong,
Face to face, silent, drawing nigh and nigher,
Until the lengthening wings break into fire
At either curvèd point,—what bitter wrong
Can the earth do to us, that we should not long
Be here contented? Think. In mounting higher,
The angels would press on us and aspire
To drop some golden orb of perfect song
Into our deep, dear silence. Let us stay
Rather on earth, Belovèd,—where the unfit
Contrarious moods of men recoil away
And isolate pure spirits, and permit
A place to stand and love in for a day,
With darkness and the death-hour rounding it.”
Contemporary Love Poems
Here is a collection of contemporary poems by modern poets like Craig Arnold and E.E. Cummings which gives you a fresh take on love and emotion.
13. “Love is More Thicker Than Forget” by E.E. Cummings
“love is more thicker than forget
more thinner than recall
more seldom than a wave is wet
more frequent than to fail
it is most mad and moonly
and less it shall unbe
than all the sea which only
is deeper than the sea
love is less always than to win
less never than alive
less bigger than the least begin
less littler than forgive
it is most sane and sunly
and more it cannot die
than all the sky which only
is higher than the sky”
14. “San Antonio” by Naomi Shihab Nye
“Tonight I lingered over your name,
the delicate assembly of vowels
a voice inside my head.
You were sleeping when I arrived.
I stood by your bed
and watched the sheets rise gently.
I knew what slant of light
would make you turn over.
It was then I felt
the highways slide out of my hands.
I remembered the old men
in the west side cafe,
dealing dominoes like magical charms.
It was then I knew,
like a woman looking backward,
I could not leave you,
or find anyone I loved more.”
15. “Anyone But You” by Anna J. Arredondo
“The phone may ring;
The call will bring
__Anyone but you.
The mail will come;
It will be from
__Anyone but you.
A text may buzz;
I’m sure it was
__Anyone but you.
Oh, this is dire;
I don’t desire
__Anyone but you.”
16. “Poem for My Love” by June Jordan
“How do we come to be here next to each other
in the night
Where are the stars that show us to our love
Inevitable
Outside the leaves flame usual in darkness
and the rain
falls cool and blessed on the holy flesh
the black men waiting on the corner for
a womanly mirage
I am amazed by peace
It is this possibility of you
Asleep
and breathing in the quiet air”
Best Love Poems of All Time
Below is a collection of the best love poems ever written by some of the greatest poets, considered the best of all time.
17. Sonnet 116: “Let me not to the marriage of true minds” by William Shakespeare
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come.
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom:
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.”
18. “Defeated by Love” by Rumi
”The sky was lit
by the splendor of the moon
So powerful
I fell to the ground
Your love
has made me sure
I am ready to forsake
this worldly life
and surrender
to the magnificence
of your Being”
19. “Come, And Be My Baby” by Maya Angelou
“The highway is full of big cars going nowhere fast
And folks is smoking anything that’ll burn
Some people wrap their lives around a cocktail glass
And you sit wondering
where you’re going to turn.
I got it.
Come. And be my baby.
Some prophets say the world is gonna end tomorrow
But others say we’ve got a week or two
The paper is full of every kind of blooming horror
And you sit wondering
what you’re gonna do.
I got it.
Come. And be my baby.”
20. “Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” by W.B. Yeats
“Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
21. “Wild Nights—Wild Nights!” by Emily Dickinson
“Wild nights – Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!
Futile – the winds –
To a Heart in port –
Done with the Compass –
Done with the Chart!
Rowing in Eden –
Ah – the Sea!
Might I but moor – tonight –
In thee!”
22. “Love Song” by Rainer Maria Rilke
“When my soul touches yours a great chord sings!
How shall I tune it then to other things?
O! That some spot in darkness could be found
That does not vibrate when’er your depth sound.
But everything that touches you and me
Welds us as played strings sound one melody.
Where is the instrument whence the sounds flow?
And whose the master-hand that holds the bow?
O! Sweet song—”
Love Poems for Her
Love poems for her are a perfect way to express your deepest feelings, whether you want to make her smile or feel truly seen. Whether it’s for your girlfriend, wife, or someone special in your life, the right words can express what’s in your heart, even when it’s hard to say. I’ve selected poems like For Her by Jamie Emms and She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron because they beautifully capture the love, admiration, and appreciation you feel for her. Each poem helps her feel loved, valued, and beautiful with every verse meant just for her.
23. “She Walks In Beauty” by Lord Byron
“She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!”
24. “Silence is Golden” by Shelagh Bullman
“They say silence is Golden,
I believe it is true,
Because in that Golden silence,
my thoughts occur of you.
You are the flame in my candle
that lights the darkness of my room,
You are the scented flowers
that makes my heart full bloom.
You are the butterflies
that flicker in my stomach all day long,
When I know I will be holding you
before my day is done.
You are the stars that shimmer and shine,
You light up the skies above
In this Golden silence
it’s truly you I love.
You are the thunder of the night,
your lightning strikes whenever,
Into my soul that makes me whole,
and excites my heart forever.
You are my paradise, my oceans wide,
My mountains standing tall,
So in this Golden Silence
I love you most of all.”
25. “If I Thought” by Dana Schwartz
“If I thought for just one moment that this would be my last breath,
I’d tell you I’ll love you forever, even beyond death.
If I thought for just one moment that your face would be the last I’d see,
I’d take a million pictures and save them just for me.
If I thought for just one moment that your voice would be the last I’d hear,
I’d listen attentively and promise not to shed a tear.
If I thought for just one moment that your touch would be the last I’d feel,
I’d embrace you and know that this has all been real.
If I thought for just one moment that my heart would beat its last beat,
I’d thank the Lord for allowing us to meet.”
26. “Love” by Justin Cauley
“A million stars up in the sky
one shines brighter I cant deny
A love so precious a love so true
a love that comes from me to you
The angels sing when you are near
within your arms I have nothing to fear
You always know just what to say
just talking to you makes my day
I love you honey with all of my heart
together forever and never to part.”
27. “Of Love” by Robert Herrick
“How Love came in, I do not know,
Whether by th’ eye, or eare, or no:
Or whether with the soule it came
(At first) infused with the same:
Whether in part ‘tis here or there,
Or, like the soule, whole every where:
This troubles me: but as I well
As any other, this can tell;
That when from hence she does depart,
The out-let then is from the heart.”
28. “You Bring Me Light” by Unknown
“Your smile is like the sun,
Bringing light to every day,
I am blessed to be with you,
Forever and always,
Come what may.”
29. “Love’s Philosophy” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
“The fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one spirit meet and mingle.
Why not I with thine?—
See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
What is all this sweet work worth
If thou kiss not me?”
30. “I Promise” by Ian E. Rabbitt
“I’ll love you
like you’ve never been
loved before
With all my core
As time goes on
I’ll love you more and more
No matter what life has in store
I’ll be patient, I’ll be kind,
I’ll be here to ease your mind
I’ll be honest, I’ll be loyal
I’ll do everything to ensure
this love doesn’t spoil”
31. “For Her” by Jamie Emms
“Your lips so soft and red.
The thought of kissing you is stuck in my head.
Your beauty so bright and warm,
shinning through the darkest storm.
Your eyes sparkle like stars in the night sky.
When I stare into them I feel like I am soaring high.
My love for you is pure and true.
I never stop thinking of you.
The sound of your voice saying, “I love you,” makes my heart pound,
because I know my one and only I’ve truly found.
I promise to love you for every moment of forever,
and when everything else crumbles, I will never.
I am your armor to protect you from harm,
like you are to me, a lucky charm.
For you are my heart, my soul.
Baby, you are my whole world.”
Love Poems for Him
Love poems for him that contain deeply meaningful and heart-touching verses to make your boyfriend, husband, new romantic interest in your life feel loved.
32. “[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]” by E. E. Cummings
“i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)”
33. “Forever And Always” by Mercedes
“You are the sun that shines brightly throughout my day.
You are the gravity that holds me down in every way.
You are the moon that shimmers throughout my night.
You are stars that glimmer oh so bright.
You are the oxygen that keeps me alive.
You are my heart that beats inside.
You are the blood that flows through me.
You are the only guy I can see.
You have the voice of when a mockingbird sings.
You are my everything.
You are my one and only.
You stop me from being so lonely.
We plan our future as if we have a clue.
I never want to lose you.
I want you to be my husband, and I want to be your wife.
I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”
34. Sonnet 38: “First time he kissed me” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“First time he kissed me, he but only kissed
The fingers of this hand wherewith I write,
And ever since it grew more clean and white,…
Slow to world-greetings…quick with its “Oh, list,”
When the angels speak. A ring of amethyst
I could not wear here plainer to my sight,
Than that first kiss. The second passed in height
The first, and sought the forehead, and half missed,
Half falling on the hair. O beyond meed!
That was the chrism of love, which love’s own crown,
With sanctifying sweetness, did precede.
The third, upon my lips, was folded down
In perfect, purple state! since when, indeed,
I have been proud and said, ‘My Love, my own.'”
35. “I wish I could remember that first day” by Christina Rossetti
“Era gia l’ora che volge il desio. – Dante
Ricorro al tempo ch’io vi vidi prima. – Petrarca
I wish I could remember that first day,
First hour, first moment of your meeting me,
If bright or dim the season, it might be
Summer or Winter for aught I can say;
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see and to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May.
If only I could recollect it, such
A day of days! I let it come and go
As traceless as a thaw of bygone snow;
It seemed to mean so little, meant so much;
If only now I could recall that touch,
First touch of hand in hand – Did one but know!”
36. “To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet
“If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay;
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.”
37. “Mariposa” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
“Butterflies are white and blue
In this field we wander through.
Suffer me to take your hand.
Death comes in a day or two.
All the things we ever knew
Will be ashes in that hour,
Mark the transient butterfly,
How he hangs upon the flower.
Suffer me to take your hand.
Suffer me to cherish you
Till the dawn is in the sky.
Whether I be false or true,
Death comes in a day or two.”
38. “You gave light to my soul” – Anonymous
“You helped me to be whole
I have felt love for you before
And it will be more and more,
You are mine, my dear
You are the angel from above
Who taught me how to love.
Please, forever keep me near.”
39. “Riding Mountains” by Julie Hebert
“My love for you rides mountains,
So many ups and downs, emotions soar.
But one thing never changes,
My love for you, I cannot ignore.
There are days I feel this is too much,
And I don’t know what to do.
But let’s face it, who are we kidding,
I want nothing else but you!”
Ideas on How to Share These Poems
Finding ways to romance is pretty fun and a great way to get closer. And if you wanna do just that, then here are a few ways to share these love poems:
- Copy and paste: Whether it’s in an email or a text message, feel free to copy and paste any of the ones above. Also, it’s fun to text it to them while in the same room and watch how they react in real time. 😉
- Leave love letters around: Write a quick love letter that also includes a poem and put it in a place you know they’ll see it. It’s a great way to make them feel surprised and loved!
- Notes on gifts: If you have a gift to give them for a special occasion (or just because), write it on there and finish it off with a “I love you!”
- Read it out loud: If you’re out for a nice dinner or you’re sharing a romantic evening in, let them know that you’d like to read something to them. It’s a great way to share a beautiful moment together!
- Write it in a card: If you have a card you’re already going to give them, make it a part of the message you’ll be writing.
- Record an audio message: An audio message of you reading the poem is a great way to brighten up their day first thing in the morning (or any point of the day really).
- Write it on a sticky note: Write it on a sticky note and put it on the bathroom mirror so they can see it as they get ready.
Chasing Foxes was started in 2016 as a way for Grace and her husband, Silas, to start traveling. However, they started to realize that they had a passion for improving themselves, and wanted to help others level up their lives as well. So whether it's with cooking, travel, or staying healthy, they want to help you better your life bit by bit, as they do the same.