Learning to love yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do. It is not selfish. It is necessary. When you accept yourself fully, you grow stronger. You set boundaries. You build confidence. You give from a full cup instead of an empty one.
Poetry, in its tender and powerful way, gives us language for this journey. In this article, we will explore sixteen poems that speak to the deep and vital act of loving yourself first. Each of these poems explores the inner self, healing, confidence, and the courage it takes to love who you are.
Let’s dive in.
16 Must-Read Poems About Loving Yourself First
1. “Love After Love” by Derek Walcott
“You will love again the stranger who was your self.”
Derek Walcott’s “Love After Love” is one of the most beloved poems about self-love. It invites the reader to return to themselves after giving too much to others. The poem is a celebration of self-reunion.
“Sit. Feast on your life.”
This line is a beautiful ending. It suggests that you are already enough. You are the banquet. The poem reminds us that we belong to ourselves first.
Source: Derek Walcott, Collected Poems: 1948–1984, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1986.
2. “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s bold and empowering voice shines in “Phenomenal Woman.” This poem is a song of strength, self-assurance, and inner beauty.
“It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.”
Angelou teaches us that true power comes from within. Confidence comes from self-love—not from how others define you.
Source: Maya Angelou, And Still I Rise, Random House, 1978.
3. “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
“Wild Geese” offers comfort and clarity to anyone struggling with their self-worth. Mary Oliver’s words are soft and liberating.
“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.”
The poem tells us we don’t need to earn love—we already deserve it. We belong in the world just as we are.
Source: Mary Oliver, Dream Work, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1986.
4. “A Litany for Survival” by Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde’s poem is a powerful call to courage. She speaks to those who have been made invisible and urges them to speak, to live, and to love themselves first.
“And when we speak we are afraid
our words will not be heard
nor welcomed
but when we are silent
we are still afraid.”
Self-love begins with giving voice to your truth. This poem is a protest and a prayer.
Source: Audre Lorde, The Black Unicorn, Norton, 1978.
5. “Heavy” by Mary Oliver
Another gem from Mary Oliver, this poem speaks to the burden of guilt and how to release it.
“It’s not the weight you carry
but how you carry it—
books, bricks, grief—
it’s all in the way you embrace it.”
“Heavy” reminds us that embracing our emotions is part of loving ourselves. We do not need to be perfect. We only need to be honest.
Source: Mary Oliver, Thirst, Beacon Press, 2006.
6. “The Journey” by Mary Oliver
This is perhaps one of Oliver’s most famous poems of personal transformation. “The Journey” captures the exact moment when a person chooses themselves.
“One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice.”
It is a poem about leaving behind the noise and finding your own voice. Loving yourself means answering your own call.
Source: Mary Oliver, Dream Work, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1986.
7. “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
In “Still I Rise,” Maya Angelou declares resilience in the face of oppression. But beyond resistance, it is also about pride in oneself.
“You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.”
This poem dares you to love yourself boldly, no matter who or what tries to bring you down.
Source: Maya Angelou, And Still I Rise, Random House, 1978.
8. “Self-Portrait” by David Whyte
David Whyte’s “Self-Portrait” asks direct and soulful questions. This poem is about knowing and honoring yourself.
“I want to know
if you can disappoint another
to be true to yourself.”
The poem explores deep integrity. Self-love often means making hard choices. It means choosing your truth.
Source: David Whyte, Fire in the Earth, Many Rivers Press, 1992.
9. “I Am Not Yours” by Sara Teasdale
Teasdale’s poem explores independence in love. It speaks to the strength of being complete in yourself.
“I am not yours, not lost in you,
Not lost, although I long to be
Lost as a candle lit at noon,
Lost as a snowflake in the sea.”
True love, this poem suggests, starts with not losing yourself. You can love others, but you belong to yourself first.
Source: Sara Teasdale, Love Songs, Macmillan, 1917.
10. “Risk” by Anaïs Nin
Anaïs Nin, known for her journals, also wrote powerful short poems. “Risk” is only a few lines, but it captures the heart of transformation.
“And the day came
when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful
than the risk it took to blossom.”
Self-love means opening up. It means choosing growth over fear.
Source: Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Volume 4, Harcourt Brace, 1971.
11. “The Invitation” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Though more of a prose-poem, “The Invitation” is a powerful declaration of self-honesty.
“I want to know
if you can disappoint another
to be true to yourself.”
This poem challenges us to go deeper, to move past appearances, and into the truth of who we are.
Source: Oriah Mountain Dreamer, The Invitation, HarperOne, 1999.
12. “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters” by Portia Nelson
This short poem breaks down the journey of self-awareness and self-change. It is clear and simple—and deeply human.
“I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost… I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.”
By Chapter Five, she avoids the hole entirely. This is what loving yourself looks like: learning your patterns and choosing better.
Source: Portia Nelson, There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk, Beyond Words Publishing, 1993.
13. “The Guest House” by Rumi
Rumi’s 13th-century poem is a reminder to welcome all our emotions, even the painful ones.
“This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.”
Loving yourself means welcoming your whole self—not just the pretty parts.
Source: Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, The Essential Rumi, HarperOne, 1995.
14. “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop
Though about loss, this poem is also about grace and self-acceptance. Bishop’s controlled form—villanelle—contrasts with her personal sorrow.
“The art of losing isn’t hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.”
Self-love also means forgiving yourself when things fall apart.
Source: Elizabeth Bishop, Geography III, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976.
15. “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann
This prose poem is filled with timeless wisdom. It urges kindness, clarity, and peace within.
“You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.”
Few lines affirm self-worth more clearly. “Desiderata” is a soft guide to love yourself first.
Source: Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, 1927.
16. “On Self-Knowledge” by Kahlil Gibran
From The Prophet, this poem explores the necessity of looking inward.
“Say not, ‘I have found the truth,’ but rather, ‘I have found a truth.’”
Gibran’s wisdom is simple: self-love requires humility. Knowing yourself is not a final destination. It is a path.
Source: Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, Alfred A. Knopf, 1923.
Conclusion
These sixteen poems offer wisdom, encouragement, and courage. They each remind us that loving yourself is not a luxury. It is a foundation. When you begin to love yourself first, you build a life rooted in truth, compassion, and confidence.
Self-love is a journey. It takes time. Some days are hard. But as these poets remind us, you are worth the effort. You are worth the kindness. You are worth the love.
So sit. Feast on your life.
