8 Romantic Poems To Make You Fall In Love

Throughout history, millions of poems have been written to try to capture the universal feeling of love. In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are our favorites. Feel free to read them out to your loved one!

8. Another Valentine – Wendy Cope

From the perspective of an old couple, this is perfect for those long-time lovers out there.

Today we are obliged to be romantic
And think of yet another valentine.
We know the rules and we are both pedantic:
Today’s the day we have to be romantic.
Our love is old and sure, not new and frantic.
You know I’m yours and I know you are mine.
And saying that has made me feel romantic,
My dearest love, my darling valentine.

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7. i carry your heart – e.e. cummings

e.e. cummings has a way with words, even in their simplest and unconventional form. Much like how he expresses his love.

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 the 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)

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6. Love Sonnet XVII – Pablo Neruda

One of his most famous poems, Pablo Neruda has a penchant for the heartfelt.

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

 

5. I Wanna Be Yours – John Cooper Clark

Sometimes, love can be a playful and funny thing, and people express their feelings best in a humorous way. This poem has become so popular that it’s been featured in an Arctic Monkeys song.

let me be your vacuum cleaner
breathing in your dust
let me be your ford cortina
i will never rust
if you like your coffee hot
let me be your coffee pot
you call the shots
i wanna be yours

let me be your raincoat
for those frequent rainy days
let me be your dreamboat
when you wanna sail away
let me be your teddy bear
take me with you anywhere
i dont care
i wanna be yours

let me be your electric meter
i will not run out
let me be the electric heater
you get cold without
let me be your setting lotion
hold your hair with deep devotion
deep as the deep atlantic ocean
thats how deep is my emotion
deep deep deep deep deep deep
i dont wanna be hers
i wanna be yours

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4. How Do I Love Thee – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

An old classic, the opening line “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” is as timeless as love itself.

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 everyday’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 a 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.

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3. First Love, Lang Leav

Probably this generation’s breakthrough poet, Lang Leav captures first love perfectly with such few words.

“Before I fell
in love with words,
with setting skies
and singing birds –
it was you I fell
in love with first.”

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2. He and I, Lang Leav

Lang Leav also has a poem for when words fail.

“When words run dry,
he does not try,
nor do I.

We are on par.

He just is,
I just am
and we just are”

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1. When Love Arrives, Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye

The only spoken word poetry on this list, this is of course best listened to. But the excerpt below perfectly captures the bittersweet sentiment of love, in all its selfless purity.

Love arrives exactly when love is supposed to,
And love leaves exactly when love must.
When love arrives, say, “Welcome. Make yourself comfortable.”
If love leaves, ask her to leave the door open behind her.
Turn off the music, listen to the quiet, whisper,
“Thank you for stopping by.”

Which one was your favorite on the list? Let us know!