The Most Beautiful Public Domain Love Poems for Romantic Souls & Paper Lovers
There is something endlessly romantic about poetry, and there is a lot of it available in the public domain.
In Love poems the language feels slower. The metaphors are deeper. The emotion is sincere without being rushed. These poems were written long before texting, algorithms, or fleeting trends — and somehow they still say exactly what the heart feels. Love is full of tenderness, devotion, hopes and dreams.
If you create junk journals, handmade cards, collage pages, or romantic paper crafts, these classic love poems are a treasure chest of inspiration. Because they are in the public domain, you can use them in your creative projects, printable pages, art books, and personal crafts.
Here are some of the prettiest love poems ever written — timeless, lyrical, and beautifully suited for Decorated Paper.
🌹 Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Sonnet 43 (“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…
This is perhaps the most famous love sonnet in the English language — devotional, rhythmic, and deeply emotional.
It pairs beautifully with:
Soft cream backgrounds
Victorian florals
Letter-writing ephemera
Gold accents and ornate frames
This is ideal for romantic journal spreads or wedding-themed printable pages.
🌙 Sara Teasdale
I Am Not Yours
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.
Teasdale’s poem is restrained, intimate, and emotionally haunting.
🌸 Christina Rossetti
A Birthday
My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a watered shoot…
Rossetti writes about love as abundance — fruit, color, birds, richness. Her language feels decorative and lush, which makes it especially beautiful for collage artists.
Use this poem with:
Botanical illustrations
Birds and nests
Fruit engravings
Vintage decorative borders
It feels like a Victorian celebration page.
🌊 Percy Bysshe Shelley
Love’s Philosophy
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one another’s being mingle —
Why not I with thine?
This poem is persuasive and elegant. Shelley compares love to rivers meeting the ocean and winds blending in the sky.
Perfect for:
Nature-themed layouts
Watercolor washes
Ocean-inspired spreads
Handwritten overlay scripts
It works beautifully for romantic art prints.
🌹 Robert Burns
A Red, Red Rose
O my Love is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June…
Simple. Musical. Timeless.
Burns feels handmade. His poetry fits effortlessly onto:
Handmade paper textures
Rose illustrations
Envelope liners
Vintage Valentine pages
This one is particularly lovely in bold serif type paired with a single rose engraving.
🌙 Edgar Allan Poe
Annabel Lee
We loved with a love that was more than love…
Melancholic and haunting, but undeniably romantic. Poe’s love poetry is dramatic and atmospheric.
Pair this with:
Moonlit backgrounds
Gothic frames
Ocean imagery
Black ink illustrations
Perfect for dramatic romantic journaling spreads.
Why Public Domain Love Poetry Is So Special for Creatives
When you work with public domain poetry, you can:
Print excerpts in your journals
Add lines to collage art
Create romantic wall art
Design printable paper packs
Include poetry in handmade cards
You are free to interpret, layer, cut, embellish, and transform — and that freedom is incredibly inspiring.
These poets understood devotion, longing, and beauty in a way that feels thoughtful and textured. Their words bring depth to paper art.
A Creative Idea for You
Try this simple exercise:
Choose one stanza from a classic love poem.
Print it in a beautiful serif font.
Layer it over soft background paper.
Add one symbolic element — a bird, a rose, a wax seal, or a piece of ribbon.
Suddenly your page feels timeless, and we bet you can do even more…
