Red roses have long been associated with romantic love. Photo: alfaneque/Flickr
The best love poems for Valentine's Day -- or any day you want to share your feelings -- are those written while in the grip of this powerful emotion. But if you've been hit by Cupid's arrow and still find yourself at a loss for words, do not despair. Chances are good that somewhere, some poet has managed to put into words what you are feeling. Here we bring you some of the best love poems by the world's greatest poets. Whether make your own Valentine's Day card or use it to serenade your love, be sure to cite your source.
How Do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Probably one of the most famous love poems ever written, this sonnet perfectly captures the promise of eternal love with the vow to "love thee better after death."
Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
An ode to the permanence of love, this sonnet insists that "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks/ But bears it out even to the edge of doom."
Life in Love by Robert Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's lover, Robert Browning, writes of the age-old dance of love: "While the one eludes, must the other pursue."
Fireworks by Amy Lowell
Tempestuous and fiery, the poet examines the fine line between love and hate: "But whenever I see you, I burst apart/
And scatter the sky with my blazing heart."
A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns
Using the imagery of the traditional lower of love, Scottish poet Burns reveals the enduring depth of his passion: "And I will love thee still, my dear/ Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear/ And the rocks melt with the sun..."
