27 Proven Classic Valentine’s Day Poems for Romantics That Will Melt Their Heart Right Now

It is a quiet Tuesday night, and the house is finally still. The laundry is folded (mostly), the kids are tucked in, and I finally have a moment to sit down with a cup of herbal tea and a blank Valentine’s card. Sometimes, looking at that empty white space can feel a little overwhelming. We want to tell our sweethearts how much they mean to us, but “Happy Valentine’s Day” just doesn’t seem to say enough.

If you are looking for the perfect words to share with your spouse or a dear friend, you are in the right place. Today, I’ve gathered some famous classic Valentine’s Day poems that bring so much beauty to a simple card. These classic English romantic poetry examples remind us that love is a timeless gift from God, meant to be cherished and spoken aloud.

 

Whether you are looking for something short or a verse that feels like a warm hug, I hope these words help you express the love in your heart today. Scroll down for the good stuff. 👇

 

My Top 3 Favorites

 

These are the ones that really touched my heart today. They remind me that even when life is busy with school runs and grocery lists, the love we share is a beautiful, steady light.

 

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.

 

— Elizabeth Barrett Browning

 

 

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.

 

— William Shakespeare

 

 

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.

 

— Robert Burns

 

 

🛍️ Beautiful Finds for Poetry Sweethearts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Romantic Sonnets and Victorian Love Lyrics 🍷

 

These poems carry the weight of history and the sweetness of a devotion that never fades. When we read famous Victorian love poems for him or traditional romantic poetry for her, we are reminded that deep, sincere love has always been a treasure worth writing about.

 

1. How Do I Love Thee?

 

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.

 

— Elizabeth Barrett Browning

 

 

2. Sonnet 18

 

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date…

But thy eternal summer shall not fade.

 

— William Shakespeare

 

 

3. A Birthday

 

My heart is like a singing bird

Whose nest is in a watered shoot;

My heart is like an apple-tree

Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;

My heart is gladder than all these

Because my love is come to me.

 

— Christina Rossetti

 

 

4. She Walks in Beauty

 

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.

 

— Lord Byron

 

 

Classic Rhyming Love Poems and Short Verses ✍️

 

Sometimes we only have a small space to write, or we want something that catches the ear like a sweet song. These short classic love poems for Valentine’s Day and short romantic verses for cards are perfect for a quick note that still carries a whole lot of heart.

 

5. A Red, Red Rose

 

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.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,

So deep in luve am I.

 

— Robert Burns

 

 

6. Jenny Kiss’d Me

 

Jenny kiss’d me when we met,

Jumping from the chair she sat in;

Time, you thief, who love to get

Sweets into your list, put that in!

Say I’m weary, say I’m sad,

Say that health and wealth have miss’d me,

Say I’m growing old, but add,

Jenny kiss’d me.

 

— Leigh Hunt

 

 

7. To Anthea, who may Command him anything

 

Bid me to live, and I will live

Thy Protestant to be:

Or bid me love, and I will give

A loving heart to thee.

 

— Robert Herrick

 

 

8. Bright Star (Excerpt)

 

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night…

Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

Awake for ever in a sweet unrest.

 

— John Keats

 

 

Timeless English Romantic Poetry for Partners 🕯️

These poems are for the ones who walk beside us through every season of life. Using classic rhyming love poems for husband or timeless love poems for a wife shows a gratitude for the “Real Deal”—the everyday devotion that makes a house a home.

 

9. To My Dear and Loving Husband

If ever two were one, then surely we.

If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;

If ever wife was happy in a man,

Compare with me, ye women, if you can.

 

— Anne Bradstreet

 

 

10. She Was a Phantom of Delight

 

She was a phantom of delight

When first she gleamed upon my sight;

A lovely apparition, sent

To be a moment’s ornament…

A perfect Woman, nobly planned,

To warn, to comfort, and command.

 

— William Wordsworth

 

 

11. The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

 

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.

 

— Christopher Marlowe

 

 

12. Love’s Philosophy

 

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.

 

— Percy Bysshe Shelley

 

 

Your Burning Questions Answered 🧐

 

What are the most famous classic poems for Valentine’s Day?

 

When we think of classic love poetry, names like William Shakespeare and Elizabeth Barrett Browning always come to mind first. Shakespeare’s sonnets and Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?” are truly the gold standard for romantic expression.

 

What is a short, romantic classic poem for a Valentine’s card?

 

If you are looking for something brief but meaningful, I highly recommend Leigh Hunt’s “Jenny Kiss’d Me.” It is sweet, rhythmic, and fits perfectly inside a standard greeting card while still bringing a smile to your sweetheart’s face.

 

Which famous poets wrote the best Valentine’s Day poems?

 

While many poets wrote about love, John Keats and Robert Burns are wonderful choices. Their poems feel very sincere and avoid the clichés we often see in modern store-bought cards. They wrote from a place of deep, genuine feeling.

 

What is the meaning behind Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s love sonnets?

 

Elizabeth wrote these beautiful lines as a tribute to her husband, Robert Browning. They represent her total devotion and the way her faith and her love were woven together into one beautiful life.

 

Conclusion

 

Choosing famous classic Valentine’s Day poems is such a beautiful way to show you care. In a world that moves so fast, taking the time to write out these classic English romantic poetry examples shows that your love is steady and deep.

 

I hope these verses bring a little extra light to your home this February. Remember, the most important part of any gift is the heart behind it. May your Valentine’s Day be filled with peace, warmth, and the sweet presence of those you love most.

 

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