35 Love Poems That Will Totally Melt Your Heart
Find Valentine's inspiration from some of the greats.
By Lizz Schumer
Forget expensive Valentine's Day gifts for him, shouting to hear each other at a crowded restaurant, forking over your life savings for Valentine's Day chocolates of indeterminate flavors or desserts that only last as long as the Galentine's Day episode of Parks & Recreation. A carefully written, heartfelt love letter will show your main squeeze how much they mean to you, whether you've been together for two months or 20 years. Spritz it with a little perfume like the middle schooler we all are inside and seal it with a kiss, and you've got a Valentine they'll treasure for years to come.
The more personalized you can make your love letters, the more your romantic sentiments will ring true. But not all of us have the silver tongue of Pablo Neruda or the descriptive powers of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. That's why we found the best love poems in literature to give you some inspiration before you pen your own Valentines. As you'll learn from the greats, really digging down into the special qualities that made you fall head over heels for the target of your affections goes a long way. So does getting very granular about just what your love feels like, and a few well-crafted metaphors never hurt either.
"Love Sonnet XI" by Pablo Neruda
Famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda has earned a reputation as one of the most romantic writers of all time. And once you read this swoon-worthy sonnet, we think you'll agree.
"Sonnet 18" by William Shakespeare
As if any list of poems would be complete without a Shakespearean sonnet. This one is better known by its first line, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
"Desire Poem" by Alice Walker
We love the image of cultivating love in this Walker poem that sweeps us up in its powerful movement. Maybe the gardener in your life will, too.
RELATED: The 20 Best Gardening Gifts to Impress Your Favorite Plant Ladies (and Gents)
"A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns
Another poem that often appears on Valentine's Day cards and has been set to music several times, this Robert Burns classic gets right to the heart of romantic love.
"[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]" by E.E. Cummings
You may know E.E. Cummings as the poet who eschews traditional punctuation, but he's also a master of love language. This beautiful poem proves it.
"Atlas" by UA Fanthorpe
Sometimes, the most meaningful things your loved one does are the smallest, most mundane ones. This stirring poem celebrates those.
"How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Perhaps one of the most famous love poems of all time, you've probably heard this one's iconic first lines. The rest is just as quotable.
"Variations on the Word Love" by Margaret Atwood
You probably know Atwood best for The Handmaid's Tale or one of her other richly painted fiction stories. But she's also a heartfelt poet. Here's one of our favorites.
"I Love You" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
This contemporary poem describes the feeling of falling in love as a young person beautifully. It's perfect for a new relationship, or reminding your longstanding lover of those early days.
"I loved you first: but afterwards your love" by Christina Rossetti
Shakespeare wasn't the only one who penned gorgeous sonnets. This one has a lilting rhythm that makes us want to waltz with our favorite dance partners.
"[Again and again, even though we know love’s landscape]" by Rainer Maria Rilke
For love that has gone the distance, this classic by Rilke says it all. Read it to your longtime sweetheart, to remind each other why you've stayed together for years and years.
"Poem to an Unnameable Man" by Dorothea Lasky
If you've ever been in the kind of love that shakes you to your core, this powerful poem will speak to you. Sometimes, love has a fire that overtakes everything.
"Dear One Absent This Long While" by Lisa Olstein
For those in long-distance relationships or anyone who hasn't seen their loved ones in a long time, this poem full of longing will speak to your heart.
"And Thou art Dead, as Young and Fair" by Lord Byron
This grief-stricken poem about someone who has loved and lost will hit you right where it hurts. But it may also bring comfort to someone grieving a loved one.
"Seduction" by Nikki Giovani
This down-to-earth poem almost feels like a friend relaying a sassy encounter over a glass of wine. We love how it nods to the way politics can play out in relationships.
"Mad Girl's Love Song" by Sylvia Plath
Unrequited love is a tale as old as time, and nobody tells it as well as Plath. Start here to get inspired to dive into the rest of her formidable canon.
"When I Too Long Have Looked Upon Your Face" by Edna St. Vincent Millay
This beautiful poem by one of the best women poets of our time addresses the way love can sometimes be overwhelming, comparing her lover to looking into the sun.
"I Am Not Yours" by Sara Teasdale
Rich with imagery that calls to mind the feeling of becoming overtaken by love, this short poem captures so much in so little space.
"Good Bones" by Maggie Smith
If you don't already follow Maggie Smith's delightfully uplifting Twitter account, what are you even doing? This poem feels like a warm, cozy bath.
"Valentine" by Carol Ann Duffy
Shrek isn't the only one to compare the layers of an onion to something far deeper. This offbeat poem will make you look at them in an entirely new way.
Lizz (she/her) is a senior editor at Good Housekeeping, where she runs the GH Book Club, edits essays and long-form features and writes about pets, books and lifestyle topics. A journalist for almost two decades, she is the author of Biography of a Body and Buffalo Steel. She also teaches journalism as an adjunct professor at New York University's School of Professional Studies and creative nonfiction at the Muse Writing Center, and coaches with the New York Writing Room.
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