30 Beautiful Famous Love Poems to Share With The One You Love

21. I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You

By Pablo Neruda

Famous Poem

Pablo Neruda was born in 1904 in Chile. His real name was Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He wrote in green ink as a symbol of love and desire. Many of his poems have been translated from the original Spanish.

I do not love you except because I love you;
I go from loving to not loving you,
From waiting to not waiting for you
My heart moves from cold to fire.

I love you only because it's you the one I love;
I hate you deeply, and hating you
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.

Maybe January light will consume
My heart with its cruel
Ray, stealing my key to true calm.

In this part of the story I am the one who
Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you,
Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood.

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22. A Red, Red Rose

By Robert Burns

Famous Poem

In "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns, the poet employs several poetic techniques to express the depth of his love and commitment. Through vivid imagery, he compares his love to a "red, red rose" that blooms freshly in June, evoking the beauty and fragility of nature. The use of simile in the opening lines enhances the romantic tone of the poem, likening his love to a sweet melody played in perfect harmony. Additionally, Burns utilizes repetition for emphasis, with the phrase "I will love thee still, my dear" recurring throughout the poem, reinforcing the everlasting nature of his affection. Through these poetic techniques, Burns eloquently conveys the enduring passion and devotion he feels for his beloved, promising to love her unconditionally until the end of time.

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.

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23. Love's Philosophy

By Percy Bysshe Shelley

Famous Poem

The poem expresses the idea that everything in nature is interconnected and harmonious, with elements like rivers, oceans, winds, mountains, and waves blending together seamlessly. The poet compares these natural unions to the longing for a romantic connection with someone they love. They wonder why, if nature itself is so unified, they cannot be united with their beloved through a kiss.

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?

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24. Sylvia

By George Etherege

Famous Poem

Sir George Etherege, from England, lived from 1635-1692. His main focus was writing plays, many of which were comedies. "Sylvia" is written about the subject of a beautiful woman who makes people believe in love, but the narrator will not allow others to love her, for she is his.

The Nymph that undoes me, is fair and unkind;
No less than a wonder by Nature designed.
She's the grief of my heart, the joy of my eye;
And the cause of a flame that never can die!

Her mouth, from whence wit still obligingly flows,
Has the beautiful blush, and the smell, of the rose.
Love and Destiny both attend on her will;
She wounds with a look; with a frown, she can kill!

The desperate Lover can hope no redress;
Where Beauty and Rigour are both in excess!
In Sylvia they meet; so unhappy am I!
Who sees her, must love; and who loves her, must die!

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25. If Thou Must Love Me

By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Famous Poem

If Thou Must Love Me is Sonnet 14 in "Sonnets from the Portuguese," a collection of 44 love poems from Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 – 1861) to her future husband Robert Browning. The couple married in 1846 and the collection was first published in 1850. Elizabeth was hesitant to publish the extremely personal collection, but Robert, a famous poet himself, urged her to publish them. The title suggesting that the sonnets were written by an unknown Portuguese was an attempt to give the couple some privacy.

If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
I love her for her smile ... her look ... her way
Of speaking gently, ... for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'—
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee,—and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,—
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

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26. A Valentine

By Edgar Allan Poe

Famous Poem

This Valentine Poem from Edgar Allan Poe was originally titled "To Her Whose Name Is Written Below." The poem was for Frances Sargent Osgood and her name is within the poem.
To find the name, take the first letter of the first line, the second letter of the second line, the third letter of the third line, and so on until the end.

For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,
Brightly expressive as the twins of Loeda,
Shall find her own sweet name, that, nestling lies
Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.
Search narrowly the lines!—they hold a treasure
Divine—a talisman—an amulet
That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure—
The words—the syllables! Do not forget
The trivialest point, or you may lose your labor!
And yet there is in this no Gordian knot

Which one might not undo without a sabre,
If one could merely comprehend the plot.
Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering
Eyes scintillating soul, there lie perdus
Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing
Of poets, by poets—as the name is a poet’s, too.
Its letters, although naturally lying
Like the knight Pinto—Mendez Ferdinando—
Still form a synonym for Truth—Cease trying!
You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do.

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27. My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun

By William Shakespeare

Famous Poem

Poem about an ordinary relationship between lovers that is extraordinary. This poem is written in the form of a sonnet, which is a 14 line rhyming poem that has its origins in Italy. This poem makes fun of passionate love poetry in which the poet imagines that their lover is more spectacular than anything in the universe. Instead, the poet maintains that his relationship with his lover is as unique and magnificent as any other although his lover is an ordinary woman.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

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28. She Walks In Beauty

By George Gordon, Lord Byron

Famous Poem

"She Walks in Beauty" by Lord Byron is a poem that admires the beauty of a woman. In the poem, Byron describes how the woman's appearance is both graceful and radiant. He compares her to the beauty of the night sky, praising her for her elegance and charm. Byron's words paint a picture of a woman who is both physically stunning and morally pure. The poem celebrates the idea that true beauty comes from within as well as from outward appearance. Overall, "She Walks in Beauty" is a tribute to the timeless allure of femininity.

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!

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29. Carnal Apple, Woman Filled, Burning Moon

By Pablo Neruda

Famous Poem

Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet who lived from 1904-1973. He mostly wrote of politics and love. In this poem, he focuses on the latter. He writes of a passionate encounter with a woman he loves. He uses descriptive words and shares that love between two people has great moments but can also be filled with heartache. The sexual nature of his poems has caused controversy.

Carnal apple, Woman filled, burning moon,
dark smell of seaweed, crush of mud and light,
what secret knowledge is clasped between your pillars?
What primal night does Man touch with his senses?
Ay, Love is a journey through waters and stars,
through suffocating air, sharp tempests of grain:
Love is a war of lightning,
and two bodies ruined by a single sweetness.
Kiss by kiss I cover your tiny infinity,
your margins, your rivers, your diminutive villages,
and a genital fire, transformed by delight,
slips through the narrow channels of blood
to precipitate a nocturnal carnation,
to be, and be nothing but light in the dark

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30. Love Song For Lucinda

By Langston Hughes

Famous Poem

The poem explores love through vivid imagery and cautionary advice. Love is likened to a ripe plum growing on a purple tree, enticing and enchanting those who taste it. Similarly, love is compared to a bright star in the Southern skies, captivating but potentially overwhelming if looked at too intently. Finally, love is likened to a high mountain in a windy sky, suggesting that while love can offer exhilarating highs, it's important not to push oneself too far or risk losing one's balance. Through these metaphors, Hughes offers insights into the complexities and dangers of love, urging readers to approach it with caution and moderation.

Love
Is a ripe plum
Growing on a purple tree.
Taste it once
And the spell of its enchantment
Will never let you be.

Love
Is a bright star
Glowing in far Southern skies.
Look too hard
And its burning flame
Will always hurt your eyes.

Love
Is a high mountain
Stark in a windy sky.
If you
Would never lose your breath
Do not climb too high.

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Famous Love Poems - Page 2

21. I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You

Pablo Neruda was born in 1904 in Chile. His real name was Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He wrote in green ink as a symbol of love and desire. Many of his poems have been translated from the original Spanish.

22. A Red, Red Rose

23. Love's Philosophy

24. Sylvia

Sir George Etherege, from England, lived from 1635-1692. His main focus was writing plays, many of which were comedies. "Sylvia" is written about the subject of a beautiful woman who makes people believe in love, but the narrator will not allow others to love her, for she is his.

25. If Thou Must Love Me

26. A Valentine

27. My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun

28. She Walks In Beauty

29. Carnal Apple, Woman Filled, Burning Moon

30. Love Song For Lucinda