Selected Love Poems
happy valentine's day <3
“Everyone once, once only. Just once and no more. And we also once. Never again. But this having been once, although only once, to have been of the earth, seems irrevocable.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
Happy Valentine’s Day!
With or without a lover, my hope for you today is that your day is filled with lots of romance. Light a candle, take a bubble bath, sip some wine, eat some chocolate, get a massage. Fall deeper in love with life and yourself. You deserve it!
In honor of the day, I wanted to share some of my favorite love poems with you. Plus, a bonus list of romance movies to watch at the end!
True Love
Sharon Olds
I love the intimacy illustrated in this poem. One of the best parts of being partnered with someone is when the everyday routines start to feel more like magical rituals because you realize how special the other person is to you. When the mundanity of life becomes something to revere. The last line, “I cannot see beyond it.” evokes a sense of blissful isolation, where for those moments, nothing else matters but the interior life of you and your partner.
Ada Limon
Ada Limon is one of my *favorite* poets. It was difficult choosing which poem to include, but I love this one for all of its doomsday imagery. With all the chaos going on in the world, our loved ones are our anchors into happiness. This poem also touches on the quiet longing in romantic relationships to be enough for one another.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Rilke is a romantic legend in most literary circles. His work often deals with meditations on life, death, beauty, and love. This poem touches on human nature’s devotion to love. The repetition of “again and again” emphasizes this. Despite knowing the brevity of life, the way anything can change in a moment, still— lovers hold tight to a dream.
The New Physicality of Long Distance Love
June Jordan
My first reading of this poem felt like a gut punch. I didn’t know whether it was in praise of the possibilities of long distance love, or against it. Truthfully, I’m still unsure. However, I absolutely love this poem for that reason exactly. Its succinctness— the way it distills all the feelings down to a few sentences, touches on something inside of me. In long distance love, or love in general, there sometimes is a fear that things won’t work out. But in this poem, that fear is challenged. How can something intangible, fall apart?
Rachel Sherwood
;)
William Stafford
This poem is a reminder that joy and pain are both an inherent part of life. We can’t avoid the Armageddons of the world, but there is so much sunshine to be found within the ordinary days.
Yanyi
This poem makes me think of that precious moment when real lovers start to merge (in a healthy way) with each other.
Timothy Liu
Pulling “The Lovers” card in tarot is generally considered to be a positive omen. And then there are are other cards that are generally considered to be a negative one. In this poem, the author apologizes for wishing only for good times in the relationship, in other words — stifling the relationship and keeping it small. He now recognizes that a relationship goes much deeper than just the good times. A good relationship contains all the ups and downs of life, and is more vast than what he had originally fathomed.
Jennifer Michael Hecht
I imagine this is the feeling I’ll feel tonight as a single girlie! This poem evokes the feeling of both gratitude and longing. Gratitude for all the love in the world, even if it looks different than how I want it to right now.
Sending so much love to all of you lovers out there!! Please cherish the day and try to stay away from cynicism. Love wins!!!
Oh and before I forget! May I suggest the following V-Day viewing:
Beyond The Lights (2014)
The pressures of fame have superstar singer Noni on the edge, until she meets Kaz, a young cop who works to help her find the courage to develop her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be.
A Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
A Star is Born (2018)
A hard-drinking country music star falls in love with a singer whose career quickly takes off.
Tune in For Love (2019)
In 1994 during the IMF crisis, two people meet while exchanging stories on a radio program. They fall in love, but can't quite seem to get the timing right.
P.S. — if you’d like to support my work and mission for creating a more loving world, please consider leaving a like, comment, or buying me a coffee. <3