Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or simply want to express your feelings to someone special, these 14 short love poems are perfect for writing in a card or a note to a loved one, or to inspire romance in yourself.
Where possible, I have included the poem in full. In cases where the poem is not in the public domain, I have provided an excerpt and a link to the full poem. I’ve also included examples of quote art and full anthologies of the poet’s works where available, which would make lovely gifts for Valentine’s Day and beyond.
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- 1. Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
- 2. “How Do I Love Thee?” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- 3. “I Carry Your Heart With Me” by E.E. Cummings
- 4. “Love After Love” by Derek Walcott
- 5. “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns
- 6. “XVII (I do not love you…)” by Pablo Neruda
- 7. Mary Oliver Love Poem
- 8. Rumi Love Poem
- 9. “My River Runs to Thee” by Emily Dickinson
- 10. “To My Valentine” by Edgar Allan Poe
- 11. “Touched by An Angel” by Maya Angelou
- 12. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe
- 13. “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell
- 14. “Your Night is of Lilac” by Mahmoud Darwish
- More Short Love Poems
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1. Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
One of the most famous poems about love, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 defines true love as unwavering and unchanging, no matter the circumstances; it remains constant even through life’s challenges. By the end, the speaker boldly claims that if his definition of love is wrong, then no man has ever truly loved.
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.
Shakespeare’s belief in love’s constant nature makes this poem a perfect Valentine’s Day tribute for someone who has stood by your side through thick and thin. This is one of my favourite poems of all time, and it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most popular readings in wedding ceremonies.
Read Next: 17 Best Shakespeare Quotes About Travel to Inspire Adventure
2. “How Do I Love Thee?” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning‘s iconic sonnet from Sonnets from the Portuguese is a heartfelt expression of the many ways in which a lover can be cherished.
The poem explores the idea of love in its various dimensions—emotional, spiritual, and even eternal. Browning uses vivid imagery and repetition to convey the depth of her affection and also reflects on the idea that her love is not just confined to this life, but will endure even beyond death.
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.
Browning’s lines are perfect for expressing the depth and complexity of your love on Valentine’s Day—and beyond.
Emily Barrett Browning and her husband, Robert Browning, were both poets and each others’ muse. You can read some of their love letters to each other in 14 Famous & Romantic Love Letters for Valentine’s Day.
3. “I Carry Your Heart With Me” by E.E. Cummings
E.E. Cummings is known for his free verse and unconventional use of language. This poem speaks of love’s permanence and intimacy, capturing the way love stays with us in everything we do.
Through his unconventional punctuation and structure, Cummings reinforces the uniqueness and depth of the connection, portraying love as an essential, life-defining force that is ever-present and limitless.
Excerpt: 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)
This poem’s simplicity and emotional depth make it a beautiful choice for someone who is always with you, no matter the distance.
4. “Love After Love” by Derek Walcott
Derek Walcott’s Love After Love explores the beauty of self-love and the realization of your own worth, which is essential for truly loving others. In the poem, the speaker suggests that after a period of personal loss or emotional hardship, there comes a moment of reconciliation with one’s own identity.
Excerpt: Take down the love letters from the bookshelf
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
This poem is a lovely reminder that love starts from within and should be cherished. It’s also the perfect poem to share with a loved one going through heartbreak or grief.
Read Next: 9 Books About Self-Love for Insight & Empowerment
5. “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns
“A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns is a classic poem that expresses deep and enduring love. The speaker compares his love to a red rose, symbolizing beauty, passion, and freshness, and asserts that it is as pure and timeless as the rose itself.
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.
6. “XVII (I do not love you…)“ by Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda’s poetry is renowned for its passion and sensuality. In “XVII (I do not love you…)” from Pablo Neruda’s 100 Love Sonnets, the speaker presents a complex and layered expression of love.
The poem conveys an intense, almost contradictory feeling, where the speaker insists that he does not love the person in a conventional, idealised way. Neruda explores the paradox of love, rejecting common romantic clichés and asserting that his love transcends superficial expressions.
Excerpt: I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
In secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I also featured Neruda’s love letters to Matilde Urrutia in 14 Famous & Romantic Love Letters for Valentine’s Day.
7. Mary Oliver Love Poem
Mary Oliver often wrote about nature and its connection to human emotions. Her love poems are gentle, reflective, and tender, much like this beautiful excerpt.
I did think, let’s go about this slowly.
This is important. This should take
some really deep thought. We should take
small thoughtful steps.
But, bless us, we didn’t.
8. Rumi Love Poem
Rumi’s poems have transcended time and culture, offering wisdom on love’s profound ability to connect us to each other. Rumi frequently uses metaphors of longing, union, and the beloved to illustrate how love is both a journey inward and outward—a path to self-discovery, spiritual awakening, and communion with the divine.
Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
9. “My River Runs to Thee” by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson’s poems often examine love’s complexity, sometimes with an air of mystery. In this poem, the river serves as a symbol for an emotional current that cannot be stopped or diverted, suggesting that love, like a river, is an inevitable and powerful force.
My River runs to thee –
Blue Sea – Wilt welcome me?
My River wait reply.
Oh Sea – look graciously!
I’ll fetch thee Brooks
From spotted nooks –
Say Sea – take Me?
10. “To My Valentine” by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe’s To My Valentine is a short yet heartfelt poem in which the speaker expresses a deep, sincere, and eternal love for his beloved. There’s an element of reverence in the poem, as the speaker seems to view his love as something spiritual, almost sacred, as if the connection with the beloved is destined and timeless.
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.
This poem’s romantic imagery and eternal sentiment make it ideal for a Valentine’s Day message.
11. “Touched by An Angel” by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s words are powerful and uplifting. Her poetry expresses a love that is resilient, unbreakable, and defies all odds.
“Touched by An Angel” by Maya Angelou is a poignant poem that explores the transformative power of love. Love is depicted as a gentle but forceful presence that can heal wounds, inspire joy, and renew hope.
Excerpt: And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.
12. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe is better known for his plays, but he also wrote poetry. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe is a romantic poem in which the speaker, a shepherd, passionately invites his beloved to live a carefree, idyllic life with him. The poem presents an idealised, pastoral world where love is simple and pure, free from the burdens of society.
Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon the Rocks,
Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow Rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing Madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of Roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;
A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;
A belt of straw and Ivy buds,
With Coral clasps and Amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.
The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.
Marlowe’s poem is an expression of carefree and passionate love, making it a timeless Valentine’s Day choice.
13. “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell
“To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell is a well-known metaphysical poem in which the speaker tries to persuade his lover to be less reserved and more willing to embrace their love. The speaker uses a blend of playful flattery, logical reasoning, and vivid imagery to argue that time is fleeting and that they should not waste it on hesitation.
Had we but world enough and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down, and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love’s day.
Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires and more slow;
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.
But at my back I always hear
Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found;
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long-preserved virginity,
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust;
The grave’s a fine and private place,
But none, I think, do there embrace.
Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may,
And now, like amorous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour
Than languish in his slow-chapped power.
Let us roll all our strength and all
Our sweetness up into one ball,
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Through the iron gates of life:
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.
Marvell’s poem is both playful and thoughtful, encouraging a love that embraces life and time’s passage.
14. “Your Night is of Lilac” by Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish wrote love poems that often intertwine political and personal themes, making his poetry both passionate and profound.
“Your Night is of Lilac” is a beautifully evocative poem that intertwines love, longing, and the complexities of identity. The speaker addresses a beloved, suggesting that her night is filled with lilacs—a symbol of beauty, mystery, and memory—hinting at the romantic and emotional weight of their connection.
Excerpt: The night sits wherever you are. Your night
is of lilac. Every now and then a gesture escapes
from the beam of your dimples, breaks the wineglass
and lights up the starlight.
More Short Love Poems
These 14 short love poems offer a range of emotions—from passionate declarations to quiet reflections—each capturing the timeless power of love. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or expressing your affection on any other day, these poems are perfect for conveying your deepest feelings in just a few lines.
Happy reading, and happy Valentine’s Day to you!
Read next: 14 Famous & Romantic Love Letters for Valentine’s Day, 14 Books About Female Friendship for Galentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day Books: 14 Great Love Stories for Romantics and 9 Books About Self-Love for Insight & Empowerment.
More Fantastic Books & Where to Find Them
For more of what to read where, check out my full Travel Books Guide, filled with book recommendations for different destinations, the most beautiful bookstores around the world, tips on how to get the best deals on audiobooks and e-books, as well as more literary travel.
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