Valentine’s Day, celebrated worldwide as the day of love, often finds its heart in poetry. Rhyming poems, in particular, have the power to evoke deep emotions and convey affection, admiration, and devotion. Whether it’s a timeless sonnet or a modern love rhyme, these verses have stood the test of time, offering a glimpse into the beauty and depth of romantic relationships. In this article, we will explore 11 poems that embrace the spirit of Valentine’s Day through rhyming verse. Each poem will be accompanied by an excerpt and a detailed analysis to understand its impact and resonance.
1. “How Do I Love Thee?” 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.
One of the most iconic love poems in the English language, “How Do I Love Thee?” is from Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese, a collection that chronicles the poet‘s passionate love for her husband, Robert Browning. The sonnet explores the boundlessness and purity of love, with the speaker detailing all the ways in which she loves her partner. The poem’s use of rhyme creates a rhythmic flow that emphasizes the depth of emotion, while its repeated rhetorical question (“How do I love thee?”) builds a sense of contemplation and reverence. Browning’s mastery of rhyme and meter strengthens the poem’s emotional impact, making it a perfect Valentine’s Day read.
2. “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare
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’s Sonnet 18 is perhaps one of the most famous poems in the English language, celebrated for its elegant simplicity and timeless beauty. The rhyming couplets create a harmonious and flowing rhythm, amplifying the poem’s admiration for the beloved. Shakespeare uses the metaphor of a summer’s day to describe the object of his affection, contrasting the fleeting nature of summer with the eternal beauty of the beloved. The rhymes reinforce the connection between the speaker and the one they love, elevating the poem to a declaration of admiration that resonates across centuries.
3. “Valentine” by Carol Ann Duffy
Not a red rose or a satin heart.
I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.
In Carol Ann Duffy’s modern poem Valentine, the speaker subverts traditional expectations of romantic gifts by giving their lover an onion instead of flowers or chocolates. The onion, as an unusual gift, symbolizes the complex layers of love and the idea that true love is not just about surface appearances. The rhyme in this poem, though irregular and free-flowing, still maintains an intimate rhythm that reflects the unconventional nature of the speaker’s feelings. Through this, Duffy delivers a thought-provoking message about the nature of love—one that is deeper than superficial gifts and appearances.
4. “A Valentine” by Edgar Allan Poe
For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes
Brightly express the poet’s heart and brain,
For her, who in the summer skies
Of love, may read the deep heart’s lore.
Poe’s A Valentine exemplifies his unique ability to blend gothic elements with the theme of romantic love. The speaker addresses the beloved, presenting the poem as a gift to honor her. The use of rhyme here heightens the romantic and almost mystical quality of the speaker’s devotion. Poe’s rhyme scheme, paired with his use of vivid imagery (“luminous eyes,” “summer skies”), transforms the poem into a symbol of how love can be both an intellectual and spiritual experience. The Valentine in this poem is not just a token of affection but a work of art that captures the essence of love.
5. “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;
In Love’s Philosophy, Shelley uses natural imagery to suggest that love is a fundamental force in the universe, as integral as water flowing through rivers or winds blowing through the heavens. The rhyming couplets mirror the harmonious relationships between elements of nature, underscoring the idea that love is both inevitable and essential. Shelley’s rhyme scheme not only reflects the natural flow of the world but also symbolizes the emotional connection between the speaker and the lover. This poem celebrates love as a unifying force, drawing parallels to the elements of the natural world.
6. “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns
O my Luve’s like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly played in tune.
Robert Burns’ A Red, Red Rose is one of the most romantic poems in the English language, with its vivid imagery and sweet rhyme scheme. The speaker compares his love to a red rose, symbolizing beauty and passion, and to a melody, emphasizing the harmony and sweetness of love. The rhyming couplets create a soft, flowing rhythm that mirrors the tender affection the speaker feels. The poem’s simple structure enhances its emotional directness, making it a quintessential expression of love and devotion—a perfect poem for Valentine’s Day.
7. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe
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.
Marlowe’s The Passionate Shepherd to His Love is a pastoral poem that invites the beloved to live a life of carefree love in the natural world. The rhyming couplets, paired with the idyllic setting, create a sense of tranquility and harmony, emphasizing the pastoral ideal of love. The simplicity of the rhyme mirrors the speaker’s straightforward and earnest plea for love, with nature serving as a metaphor for the ease and beauty of life when shared with a loved one. This poem’s gentle rhythm and rhyming scheme evoke an atmosphere of calm and yearning, making it an excellent Valentine’s Day poem.
8. “Valentine’s Day” by Linda Pastan
I am the one who still keeps your letter,
The one that no one else will ever read.
It is crumpled and stained with tears of longing,
A page of love, a record of need.
Pastan’s Valentine’s Day explores the longing and emotional complexity that comes with remembering a past love. The rhyme in the poem is simple, but it effectively conveys the raw, aching nostalgia of the speaker. The crumpled letter is a powerful symbol of lost love, and the rhyme scheme mirrors the speaker’s attempt to find closure. By using rhymes to structure her poem, Pastan deepens the emotional weight of her words, making the poem a poignant reflection on unrequited love and the passage of time.
9. “Love Is Not All” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
And rise and sink and rise and sink again.
In this sonnet, Millay reflects on the nature of love, acknowledging its importance but also its limitations. The poem is a meditation on the practical aspects of life, in contrast to the idealized notion of love. Millay’s rhyme scheme is strict and structured, with each line flowing seamlessly into the next. This controlled rhythm helps to mirror the speaker’s rational approach to love. While love may not provide material necessities, the speaker suggests that it remains essential in ways that transcend the physical. The poem’s conclusion reaffirms that love is a powerful force, even if it cannot solve all of life’s problems.
10. “I Carry Your Heart With Me” 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.
E.E. Cummings’ poem is a deeply personal expression of love, with a focus on unity and the intertwining of two lives. Though Cummings often experimented with form, this poem maintains a flowing, rhythmic quality that mimics the constant presence of the beloved in the speaker’s life. The rhymes in this poem are subtle but effective, reinforcing the deep emotional connection between the speaker and their love. The poem’s intimacy, coupled with its unique structure, creates a sense of oneness, perfectly capturing the idea of love as an eternal, inseparable bond.
11. “To My Valentine” by Ogden Nash
If you’re not the one I wanted,
I will still be glad I found you,
You’re the one I never needed,
But I’ll never stop loving you.
Ogden Nash’s humorous and playful poem offers a lighthearted take on love and relationships. His rhyme scheme is fun and bouncy, adding a touch of whimsy to the poem’s exploration of love. Unlike the traditional, serious tone of many Valentine’s Day poems, Nash’s work brings a fresh, comedic angle to the subject. The humor lies in the paradoxical idea of loving someone despite not necessarily needing them, a sentiment that makes the poem both endearing and thought-provoking.
Conclusion
These 11 poems showcase the vast range of emotions and themes that love can evoke. From the passionate declarations of Browning and Shakespeare to the gentle longing in Pastan’s work, each poem uses rhyme to elevate the emotional weight of its message. Valentine’s Day, with its emphasis on love, is the perfect occasion to revisit these rhyming masterpieces and celebrate the different facets of romantic affection. Through rhyme, these poets create rhythm that mirrors the heartbeat of love—steady, continuous, and full of meaning. Whether traditional or modern, humorous or serious, these poems remind us that love, in all its forms, is an experience worth celebrating.
