65 Beautiful Titles of Poems About Love You Should Discover

There is a unique power in the title of poem about love. It can hint at the tenderness, the passion, the sorrow, or the profound connection contained within the verses. Throughout history, poets across cultures and eras have turned to love as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, crafting words that resonate deeply with the human heart. From the timeless sonnets of Shakespeare to the raw vulnerability of contemporary voices, love poetry offers solace, understanding, and a mirror to our own experiences.

This curated collection presents 65 beautiful and impactful poems where the very title of poem about love often serves as a first invitation into the emotional landscape the poet explores. Whether you are seeking a poem to share, a deeper understanding of love’s complexities, or inspiration for your own creative endeavors, these titles and the works they represent offer a rich journey through the art of love poetry. Explore these renowned and poignant selections that continue to bloom in the garden of literature. poetry for lovers awaits your discovery.

Exploring Beautiful Love Poem Titles

These poems, each marked by a distinct title of poem about love, explore the multifaceted nature of affection, desire, and connection.

1. “Come, And Be My Baby” by Maya Angelou

Portrait photo of acclaimed American poet Maya AngelouMaya Angelou, a celebrated American poet and civil rights activist, masterfully uses this simple, inviting title to introduce a poem that poignantly captures the overwhelming nature of modern life, highlighting love as a crucial source of comfort and refuge. The title itself promises sanctuary, a theme beautifully delivered in the poem’s verses.

2. “Bird-Understander” by Craig Arnold

These are your own words
your way of noticing
and saying plainly
of not turning away
from hurt
you have offered them
to me I am only
giving them back
if only I could show you
how very useless
they are not

The seemingly unusual title “Bird-Understander” hints at a moment of profound connection. Craig Arnold’s poem delivers raw, unflinching honesty, illustrating how a simple shared moment and understanding, symbolized by the title’s metaphor, can profoundly deepen love’s understanding.

3. “Habitation” by Margaret Atwood

at the back where we squat
outside, eating popcorn
the edge of the receding glacier
where painfully and with wonder
at having survived even
this far
we are learning to make fire

Known for her powerful fiction, Margaret Atwood uses the title “Habitation” to frame a poem that is strikingly real about the challenges and endurance of love. It acknowledges the effort required to sustain a relationship, portraying love not as a fantasy but as a place one builds and inhabits together, even at the edges of difficulty.

4. “Variations on the Word Love” by Margaret Atwood

Headshot of renowned author and poet Margaret AtwoodThis title explicitly announces the poem’s intent: to dissect and display the manifold forms and connotations of the word “love.” Margaret Atwood unflinchingly explores the diverse ways love manifests – platonic, passionate, complex – making it a fascinating study of the concept itself.

5. “The More Loving One” by W.H. Auden

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.

“The More Loving One” directly addresses the unequal nature sometimes present in relationships. W.H. Auden’s poem is a poignant reflection on heartbreak and the pain of loss, demonstrating that poems about the end of love can be as beautiful and meaningful as those about its beginning, capturing the dignity and sorrow of loving more deeply.

6. “To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet

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.

The direct address in the title “To My Dear and Loving Husband” sets a tone of personal devotion. Anne Bradstreet’s poem, viewed through a modern lens, begins with a nod to Puritan beliefs about marriage but quickly unfolds into a deeply moving assertion of genuine gratitude and dedication, highlighting the enduring power of marital love.

7. “Always For The First Time” by André Breton

There is a silk ladder unrolled across the ivy
There is
That leaning over the precipice
Of the hopeless fusion of your presence and absence
I have found the secret
Of loving you
Always for the first time

“Always For The First Time” suggests a love that constantly renews itself. André Breton, a founder of surrealism, creates an ode to a woman both present and absent, blurring dreams and reality. The title captures the whimsical, ever-fresh nature of love as explored in this piece.

8. “Love and Friendship” by Emily Brontë

Painting portrait of writer Emily BrontëThe clear dichotomy presented in the title “Love and Friendship” signals the poem’s comparative structure. Emily Brontë contrasts romantic love, depicted as beautiful but fleeting like a rose, with the enduring strength of friendship, resilient through all seasons like a holly tree.

9. “To Be In Love” by Gwendolyn Brooks

To be in love
Is to touch with a lighter hand.
In yourself you stretch, you are well.

Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American writer to win a Pulitzer Prize, uses the simple, declarative title “To Be In Love” to introduce a powerful poem that conveys the transformative intensity of falling in love and how it expands one’s entire being and perspective on life.

10. “How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)” 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.

Perhaps one of the most famous love poems, the title “How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)” poses a question that the poem then answers with ardent clarity. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s enduring declaration has resonated for over 150 years, showcasing the power of direct expression in love poetry.

11. “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns

Painting depicting a person in traditional Scottish attire with a roseThe title “A Red, Red Rose” evokes immediate imagery associated with passionate love. Robert Burns uses this classic symbol to declare a profound love that is both vibrant and refreshing, illustrating that even the loveliest language struggles to capture the full depth of his ‘Luve’.

12. “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.

Despite Lord Byron’s reputation, the title “She Walks in Beauty” introduces a poem focused on a less passionate, more ethereal admiration. His astonishment at the woman’s serene beauty is instantly conveyed, making it a beautifully romantic portrayal of aesthetic appreciation leading to deeper feeling.

13. “Love is a fire that burns unseen” by Luís Vaz de Camões

Love is a fire that burns unseen,
a wound that aches yet isn’t felt,
an always discontent contentment,
a pain that rages without hurting,

The paradox presented in the title “Love is a fire that burns unseen” is central to Luís Vaz de Camões’ exploration of love. This lyrical poem reflects the turbulent nature of his own love affairs, portraying love as a complex fusion of pleasure and pain, seen and unseen.

14. “Beautiful Signor” by Cyrus Cassells

This is the endless wanderlust:
dervish,
yours is the April-upon-April love
that kept me spinning even beyond your eventful arms
toward the unsurpassed:
the one vast claiming heart,
the glimmering,
the beautiful and revealed Signor.

“Beautiful Signor” is the evocative title of a poem from Cyrus Cassells’ collection dedicated to ‘Lovers everywhere.’ Set against the AIDS epidemic, the title points to a specific love while the poem aims to remind readers of the potent, enduring beauty of romantic connection amidst difficulty.

15. “Rondel of Merciless Beauty” by Geoffrey Chaucer

Upon my word, I tell you faithfully
Through life and after death you are my queen;
For with my death the whole truth shall be seen.
Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;
Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;
Straight through my heart the wound is quick and keen.

The title “Rondel of Merciless Beauty” immediately suggests a love that is both captivating and painful. Geoffrey Chaucer, the ‘Father of English poetry’, conveys heartbreak and everlasting devotion to a love that has caused him pain, captured in the precise form of a rondel.

16. “Love Comes Quietly” by Robert Creeley

Black and white photo of poet Robert CreeleyThe title “Love Comes Quietly” is a subtle nod to the often unexpected and unassuming way love enters our lives. Robert Creeley’s short but striking poem aptly summarizes the feeling of inseparable closeness with a loved one, making life before them seem almost forgotten, highlighting the subtle power of love’s arrival.

17. “[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)

The unconventional title “[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]” is instantly recognizable as E.E. Cummings’ unique style. It perfectly introduces one of the most famous love poems ever written, using rich imagery and intimate infatuation to convey complete and utter devotion.

18. “[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

Another example of Cummings’ playful yet profound use of language, the title “[love is more thicker than forget]” immediately grabs attention with its unconventional grammar. The poem itself explores the complex, paradoxical nature of love, defining it through abstract comparisons that defy simple explanation.

19. “Sthandwa sami (my beloved, isiZulu)” by Yrsa Daley-Ward

my thoughts about you are frightening but precise
I can see the house on the hill where we make our own vegetables out back
and drink warm wine out of jam jars
and sing songs in the kitchen until the sun comes up
wena you make me feel like myself again.

The bilingual title “Sthandwa sami (my beloved, isiZulu)” adds a personal and cultural layer to Yrsa Daley-Ward’s poem. From her collection bone, this piece offers a deeply personal and revealing account of love’s ability to restore and affirm one’s sense of self amidst life’s complexities.

20. “Married Love” by Guan Daosheng

You and I
Have so much love,
That it
Burns like a fire,
In which we bake a lump of clay
Molded into a figure of you
And a figure of me.

The straightforward title “Married Love” by Guan Daosheng, a Chinese painter and poet, introduces a poem that uses the vivid, tangible image of clay figurines uniting in a kiln to represent the sacred union of two lovers in marriage, solidifying their bond.

21. “Heart, we will forget him!” by Emily Dickinson

Heart, we will forget him!
You and I, to-night!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.

Characteristic of many emily dickinson poems, the title “Heart, we will forget him!” is a forceful internal command. It’s a powerful reflection on the aftermath of a passionate affair, capturing the futile struggle to command one’s own heart to move on from a profound loss.

22. “Air and Angels” by John Donne

Painting portrait of metaphysical poet John Donne“Air and Angels” suggests a love of pure, almost spiritual quality. John Donne, known for tackling faith and human/divine love, compares his love to the pure movement of angels. The poem romantically concludes that two lovers can unite and grow stronger, adding layers to the concept of love’s essence.

23. “Flirtation” by Rita Dove

Outside the sun
has rolled up her rugs
and night strewn salt
across the sky. My heart
is humming a tune
I haven’t heard in years!

The title “Flirtation” perfectly encapsulates the poem’s subject: the exciting beginning of a new relationship. Rita Dove eloquently captures this initial joy, anticipation, and the feeling of lightness and happiness that makes the heart ‘hum’ with a forgotten tune.

24. “Heart to Heart” by Rita Dove

It’s neither red
nor sweet.
It doesn’t melt
or turn over,
break or harden,
so it can’t feel
pain,
yearning,
regret.

“Heart to Heart” implies a direct, honest communication of feeling. In this poem, Rita Dove rejects typical love clichés, taking a down-to-earth approach. The title suggests a candidness about love, assuring the reader that even if love isn’t overtly displayed, it is undeniably present.

25. “Love” by Carol Ann Duffy

you’re where I stand, hearing the sea, crazy
for the shore, seeing the moon ache and fret
for the earth. When morning comes, the sun, ardent,
covers the trees in gold, you walk
towards me,
out of the season, out of the light love reasons.

The simple, fundamental title “Love” allows Carol Ann Duffy, the first female and openly lesbian British poet laureate, to explore its boundless nature. Using sensory imagery of the sea and sun, she describes love as beautifully expansive and elemental, existing beyond reason or season.

26. “The Love Poem” by Carol Ann Duffy

Illustration depicting a quill pen and paper, symbolizing writing poetry“The Love Poem” is a meta-poetic title, signaling that the poem is not just about love, but about the act of writing a love poem. From her collection Rapture, Carol Ann Duffy explores the struggle to find adequate words to describe profound love, reflecting on the challenges inherent in capturing such vast emotion in verse.

27. “Before You Came” by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Don’t leave now that you’re here—
Stay. So the world may become like itself again:
so the sky may by the sky,
the road a road,
and the glass of wine not a mirror, just a glass of wine.

“Before You Came” implies a time of incompleteness or distorted perception. Faiz Ahmed Faiz, known for his Urdu poetry, writes of how love brought clarity and truth to his perspective. The title sets up the transformative power of the beloved’s presence, making the world seem real again.

28. “Lines Depicting Simple Happiness” by Peter Gizzi

It feels right to notice all the shiny things about you
About you there is nothing I wouldn’t want to know
With you nothing is simple yet nothing is simpler
About you many good things come into relation

The title “Lines Depicting Simple Happiness” suggests an understated joy found in love. Peter Gizzi’s poem reflects adoration for his love without resorting to clichés. It highlights the profound contentment and curiosity that can arise from simply noticing and wanting to know everything about another person, finding beauty in shared simplicity.

29. “Six Sonnets: Crossing the West” by Janice Gould

In that communion of lovers, thick sobs
break from me as I think of my love
back home, all that I have done
and cannot say. This is the first time
I have left her so completely, so alone.

“Six Sonnets: Crossing the West” is a title that places personal emotion within a larger geographic context. Janice Gould, focusing on themes of love and identity, equates her lover to a dreamlike presence. This excerpt, specifically, conveys the pain of separation and the deep longing experienced while physically distant from the beloved.

30. “For Keeps” by Joy Harjo

Photo of Muscogee (Creek) Nation poet Joy Harjo“For Keeps” is a title that speaks to the permanence and enduring nature of love. Joy Harjo, a celebrated poet, contrasts love with the beauty of nature, creating an unbreakable bond between the two. This comparison helps illustrate the deep, lasting commitment she feels for her lover, as suggested by the title.

31. “You Are the Penultimate Love of My Life” by Rebecca Hazelton

The garden you plant and I plant
is tunneled through by voles,
the vowels
we speak aren’t vows,
but there’s something
holding me here, for now,
like your eyes, which I suppose
are brown, after all.’

The striking and unconventional title “You Are the Penultimate Love of My Life” sets a tone of realistic, perhaps imperfect love. Rebecca Hazelton writes an unorthodox love poem focused on the realities rather than fantasies of a relationship, acknowledging it may not be the ‘ultimate’ love, but finding special value in the connection nonetheless.

32. “Yours” by Daniel Hoffman

I am yours as the summer air at evening is
Possessed by the scent of linden blossoms,
As the snowcap gleams with light
Lent it by the brimming moon.
Without you I’d be an unleaded tree
Blasted in a bleakness with no Spring.

The declarative title “Yours” immediately establishes a theme of dedication and possession. Daniel Hoffman’s poem uses carefully chosen natural metaphors to express complete devotion, demonstrating how the beloved is essential to the speaker’s very existence, like seasons to a tree.

33. “A Love Song for Lucinda” by Langston Hughes

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

The classic title structure “A Love Song for [Name]” indicates a personal tribute. Langston Hughes compares love to various aspects of the natural world, like a “high mountain,” in each stanza. This poem emphasizes the exhilaration and all-encompassing enchantment of falling in love, while also hinting at its inherent risks.

34. “Poem for My Love” by June Jordan

A straightforward and personal title, “Poem for My Love” by June Jordan, a prominent Jamaican American writer and activist, sets the stage for a deeply spiritual appreciation of a partner. The speaker conveys absolute awe and reverence for their beloved and the transcendent quality of their shared love.

35. “for him” by Rupi Kaur

no,
it won’t
be love at
first sight when
we meet it’ll be love
at first remembrance
‘cause i’ve recognized you
in my mother’s eyes when she tells me,
marry the type of man you’d want to raise your son to be like.

The simple, lowercase title “for him” is characteristic of Rupi Kaur’s accessible style. From milk and honey, this poem offers a beautiful, powerful perspective on love as a form of deep recognition, instantly resonating with millions and demonstrating that profound emotion doesn’t require complex language. For more like this, explore short romantic love poems for him.

36. Untitled by Rupi Kaur

love will hurt you but
love will never mean to
love will play no games
cause love knows life
has been hard enough already

While untitled, this short poem from milk and honey carries a powerful message about the nature of love’s pain. It adopts a bittersweet, world-weary yet ultimately generous view, acknowledging love’s challenges while asserting its fundamental good intentions and lack of malice.

37. “Poem To An Unnameable Man” by Dorothea Lasky

And I will not cry also
Although you will expect me to
I was wiser too than you had expected
For I knew all along you were mine

The mysterious title “Poem To An Unnameable Man” sparks curiosity. Prolific poet Dorothea Lasky uses celestial imagery to explore a romantic relationship, focusing on the speaker’s unexpected power and strength in relation to a lover who may underestimate her, adding an intriguing layer to the love dynamic.

38. “Movement Song” by Audre Lorde

Photo portrait of writer and activist Audre Lorde“Movement Song” suggests a journey, perhaps of healing or transition. Audre Lorde’s poem is about the end of a relationship, conveying the sorrow of heartbreak but ultimately concluding with a sense of hope for a new beginning for both individuals, even apart, framing the separation as a necessary movement.

39. “Camomile Tea” by Katherine Mansfield

We might be fifty, we might be five,
So snug, so compact, so wise are we!
Under the kitchen-table leg
My knee is pressing against his knee.
Our shutters are shut, the fire is low,
The tap is dripping peacefully;
The saucepan shadows on the wall
Are black and round and plain to see.

The simple, domestic title “Camomile Tea” points to the quiet comfort of established love. Katherine Mansfield’s poem paints a tranquil picture of a couple finding happiness and contentment in peaceful familiarity, highlighting the underrated joy of shared, ordinary moments in a relationship.

40. “Love Elegy in the Chinese Garden, with Koi” by Nathan McClain

Because who hasn’t done that —
loved so intently even after everything
has gone? Love something that has washed
its hands of you? I like to think I’m different now,
that I’m enlightened somehow,
but who am I kidding?

The specific and evocative title “Love Elegy in the Chinese Garden, with Koi” sets a detailed scene for Nathan McClain’s exploration of anxiety between potential lovers. The poem delves into the emotional baggage from past failed relationships, questioning the ability to love fully again after experiencing loss and being left behind.

41. “I think I should have loved you presently (Sonnet IX)” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

I think I should have loved you presently,
And given in earnest words I flung in jest;
And lifted honest eyes for you to see,
And caught your hand against my cheek and breast;
And all my pretty follies flung aside
That won you to me, and beneath you gaze

The opening line as the title “I think I should have loved you presently (Sonnet IX)” immediately signals a moment of regret or missed opportunity. Edna St. Vincent Millay subverts the traditional sonnet form to lament the speaker’s inability to reciprocate earnest affection, choosing superficiality over genuine connection.

42. “Love Sonnet XI” by Pablo Neruda

I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.
Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets.
Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts
me, all day
I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.

“Love Sonnet XI” identifies the form and series, while the content delivered is pure Neruda: intense longing. This title of poem about love introduces a piece where the speaker’s thoughts are consumed by their beloved, driving them to a state of distraction that blurs the line between romance and obsession.

43. “Your Feet” by Pablo Neruda

Famous photo of Nobel Prize winner Pablo NerudaThe seemingly mundane title “Your Feet” is deceptively simple for a Pablo Neruda poem. It introduces a poem that expresses profound devotion by focusing on specific, tangible details, exploring love from head to toe and giving thanks for the forces that brought the lovers together, finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.

44. “Dear One Absent This Long While” by Lisa Olstein

I expect you. I thought one night it was you
at the base of the drive, you at the foot of the stairs
you in a shiver of light, but each time
leaves in wind revealed themselves,
the retreating shadow of a fox, daybreak.
We expect you, cat and I, bluebirds and I, the stove.

The title “Dear One Absent This Long While” immediately establishes a sense of longing and separation. Lisa Olstein’s poem captures the anxious anticipation of a loved one’s return, where every sight and sound is mistaken for their arrival, highlighting how the absent person is the missing piece in the speaker’s life.

45. “My Lover Is a Woman” by Pat Parker

my lover is a woman
& when i hold her
feel her warmth
i feel good
feel safe

The powerful, declarative title “My Lover Is a Woman” by Pat Parker, an American poet and activist, is central to its message. The poem speaks to the struggles faced by openly queer women of color, portraying the lover as a vital safe harbour and source of strength and security amidst external challenges.

46. “It Is Here” by Harold Pinter

What is this stance we take,
To turn away and then turn back?
What did we hear?
It was the breath we took when we first met.
Listen. It is here.

“It Is Here” suggests the persistent presence of love or a significant moment. Harold Pinter’s poem explores how relationships transcend time, inviting the lover to recall the beginning of their connection. By remembering, that long-passed moment is brought back to life, emphasizing love’s enduring presence.

47. “Untitled” by Christopher Poindexter

I miss you even when you
are beside me.
I dream of your body
even when you are sleeping
in my arms.
The words I love you
could never be enough.

Though simply “Untitled,” this poem by Christopher Poindexter offers a deeply honest and relatable portrait of love’s intensity. It describes the overwhelming, paradoxical longing one can feel even when the beloved is physically present, suggesting a love that surpasses the limits of language itself.

48. “Love Is Not A Word” by Riyas Qurana

Amidst all this
I keep a falling flower in the mid-air
Not to fall on the earth
Is it not up to you who search for it
To come and sit on it
And make love?
Don’t forget to bring the word
Darling
When you come.

The philosophical title “Love Is Not A Word” by Riyas Qurana suggests that love is an experience that transcends language. Written from the perspective of love personified, the poem relates the concept to nature, emphasizing its elemental nature while also playfully pointing out that words, like “Darling,” are still needed for connection.

49. “[Again and again, even though we know love’s landscape]” by Rainer Maria Rilke

Again and again, even though we know love’s landscape
and the little churchyard with its lamenting names
and the terrible reticent gorge in which the others
end: again and again the two of us walk out together
under the ancient trees, lay ourselves down again and
again
among the flowers, and look up into the sky.

The repetitive phrase in the title “[Again and again, even though we know love’s landscape]” highlights the continuous nature of love. Rainer Maria Rilke celebrates the everyday commitment required in love, acknowledging the risks (“lamenting names,” “terrible reticent gorge”) but finding strength and beauty in the ongoing choice to love despite knowing the possibility of heartbreak.

50. “Echo” by Christina Rossetti

Painting portrait of Victorian poet Christina RossettiThe title “Echo” immediately suggests recurrence, perhaps of a sound or a memory. Christina Rossetti’s poem reflects on a lost love, expressing a desperate yearning for it to return like an echo. It’s a heartbreaking yet beautiful portrayal of despair and longing for what is gone.

51. “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

Using the opening line as the title, “I loved you first: but afterwards your love,” Christina Rossetti introduces a theme of reciprocal, yet perhaps competitive, love. Despite the initial focus on who loved more, the poem ultimately conveys a sense of ‘oneness,’ where individual feelings combine to create a love greater than the sum of its parts.

52. “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 Bering

The dramatic title “Defeated by Love” by 13th-century Persian poet Rumi suggests a love so powerful it overwhelms. This enduring poem is a testament to love’s immense force, depicting a passion and dedication so profound it leads to a willingness to forsake worldly life and surrender entirely to the beloved’s presence.

53. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? (Sonnet 18)” by William Shakespeare

Engraving of playwright and poet William ShakespeareArguably the most iconic opening line and a famous title of poem about love, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? (Sonnet 18)” by William Shakespeare is a masterpiece of romantic verse. Its apparent simplicity belies layers of meaning, using comparison to argue for the timeless, enduring beauty preserved by the poem itself. Explore more from this master of the shakespeare poem.

54. “Let me not to the marriage of true minds (Sonnet 116)” 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-fixed mark

The title “Let me not to the marriage of true minds (Sonnet 116)” defines true love by what it is not – something hindered or changed by difficulty. Shakespeare asserts the permanence of love, defining it as an “ever-fixed mark” that remains constant regardless of external changes or the passage of time.

55. “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” (Sonnet 130) by William Shakespeare

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.

Beginning with a seemingly negative comparison, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” (Sonnet 130) is Shakespeare’s witty challenge to traditional love poetry clichés. He champions a realistic view of his beloved, finding her beauty and worth not in idealized comparisons but in her genuine self, declaring his love as rare despite her imperfections.

56. “Love’s Philosophy” by Percy Bysshe Shelley

The fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix forever
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?

“Love’s Philosophy” suggests a logical, reasoned approach to love. Percy Bysshe Shelley uses natural examples of mingling elements to argue that love is a fundamental, divine law of the universe. He poses a direct question to his beloved, suggesting their union is as natural and necessary as rivers meeting the ocean.

57. “One Day I Wrote her Name (Sonnet 75)” by Edmund Spenser

One day I wrote her name upon the strand,
But came the waves and washed it away:
Again I wrote it with a second hand,
But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.

The title “One Day I Wrote her Name (Sonnet 75)” sets a scene of romantic, yet fleeting, action. Part of Edmund Spenser’s sonnet cycle Amoretti, the poem uses the image of writing a name in the sand to explore the tension between mortality and the desire for eternal love, ultimately asserting that his verse will immortalize his love despite life’s impermanence.

58. “I Am Not Yours” by Sara Teasdale

Vintage photo portrait of Pulitzer Prize winning poet Sara TeasdaleThe assertive title “I Am Not Yours” introduces a poem centered on a yearning for genuine, all-consuming love. Sara Teasdale conveys the speaker’s feeling of not truly belonging in her current relationship and her deep desire to find a connection where she can feel utterly lost and immersed in love.

59. “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;
Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;
Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font.
The firefly wakens; waken thou with me.
Now drops the milk-white peacock like a ghost,
And like a ghost she glimmers on to me.

“Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal” is a highly sensory title, evoking a twilight garden scene. This song from Tennyson’s The Princess was inspired by the Persian ghazal form. It is a masterclass in sensual description, inviting the beloved to awaken and join the speaker in the charged atmosphere of the night.

60. “poem I wrote sitting across the table from you” by Kevin Varrone

I would fold myself
into the hole in my pocket and disappear
into the pocket of myself, or at least my pants
but before I did
like some ancient star
I’d grab your hand

The conversational, descriptive title “poem I wrote sitting across the table from you” gives a sense of immediacy and intimacy. Kevin Varrone captures the feeling of closeness and the desire to share every experience, no matter how small or internal, with the beloved who is right there beside him.

61. “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong

Tell me it was for the hunger
& nothing less. For hunger is to give
the body what it knows
it cannot keep. That this amber light
whittled down by another war
is all that pins my hand
to your chest.

Sharing its title with his acclaimed novel, “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong is a title that hints at themes of transient beauty and vulnerability. The poem explores desire, impermanence, and the deep craving felt in love, often set against a backdrop of personal and historical weight.

62. “Love After Love” by Derek Walcott

You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.

The title “Love After Love” suggests resilience and renewal following heartbreak. Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott offers profound advice to those recovering from a breakup, encouraging a return to self-love. The poem beautifully reframes the relationship with oneself as the foundational love that endures.

63. “I Love You” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I love your lips when they’re wet with wine
And red with a wild desire;
I love your eyes when the lovelight lies
Lit with a passionate fire.
I love your arms when the warm white flesh
Touches mine in a fond embrace;
I love your hair when the strands enmesh
Your kisses against my face.

The direct and simple title “I Love You” sets a clear theme for Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s poem. She lists specific, tangible details and moments that fuel her passion, juxtaposing them with undesirable traits to emphasize the value of what she does love, making the declaration all the more powerful through precise observation.

64. “We Have Not Long to Love” by Tennessee Williams

Photo portrait of playwright and poet Tennessee WilliamsThe poignant title “We Have Not Long to Love” by Tennessee Williams, better known as a playwright, introduces a poem about the ephemeral nature of love and life. It stresses the importance of cherishing the time spent with loved ones, serving as a reminder to appreciate the love we have while it lasts, acknowledging its inevitable end.

65. “Poem to First Love” by Matthew Yeager

To have been told “I love you” by you could well be, for me,
the highlight of my life, the best feeling, the best peak
on my feeling graph, in the way that the Chrysler building
might not be the tallest building in the NY sky but is
the best, the most exquisitely spired

“Poem to First Love” is a title that instantly evokes nostalgia and the intensity of early romantic experience. Matthew Yeager’s poem is a bittersweet reflection, using relatable comparisons (like the Chrysler building) to quantify the profound, often illogical impact of first love, highlighting its unique and lasting significance.

This collection, guided by the evocative title of poem about love for each piece, showcases the enduring power and diversity of love poetry across centuries and styles. Each title is a doorway into the poet’s world, inviting us to explore the universal experience of love through unique linguistic and emotional lenses.