"Married Love" by Guan Daosheng

You and IHave so much love,That itBurns like a fire,In which we bake a lump of clayMolded into a figure of youAnd a figure of me.

Guan Daosheng was a Chinese painter and poet of the early Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). ‘Married Love’ uses the image of clay figurines to represent two lovers being united as one through the sacred act of marriage, just as clay solidifies in a kiln.

"[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]" by E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it inmy heart)i am never without it(anywherei go you go,my dear;and whatever is doneby only me is your doing,my darling)

As one of America’s most prolific twentieth century poets, E.E. Cummings needs no introduction. Many of his poems centered around love and ‘[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]’ is perhaps the best-known of them all. The rich imagery and intimate infatuation earns it a prominent spot on our list of the most beautiful love poems ever written.

"Beautiful Signor" by Cyrus Cassells

This is the endless wanderlust:dervish,yours is the April-upon-April lovethat kept me spinning even beyond your eventful armstoward the unsurpassed:the one vast claiming heart,the glimmering,the beautiful and revealed Signor.

‘Beautiful Signor’ is an entry from Cyrus Cassells’ poetry collection of the same name, which he dedicated to ‘Lovers everywhere’. Culturally set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, the collection aims to remind people of the potent beauty of romantic love.

"Love" by Carol Ann Duffy

you’re where I stand, hearing the sea, crazyfor the shore, seeing the moon ache and fretfor the earth. When morning comes, the sun, ardent,covers the trees in gold, you walktowards me,out of the season, out of the light love reasons.

In 2009, Carol Ann Duffy made history when she was appointed the first female and openly lesbian British poet laureate. ‘Love’ is a perfect example of the monologue-style poems she is known for, fitting in with her usual sensory and emotional style of writing; here, she describes love as beautifully boundless, like the light of the sun or the crashing sound of waves.

"[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]" by E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it inmy heart)i am never without it(anywherei go you go,my dear;and whatever is doneby only me is your doing,my darling)

As one of America’s most prolific twentieth century poets, E.E. Cummings needs no introduction. Many of his poems centered around love and ‘[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]’ is perhaps the best-known of them all. The rich imagery and intimate infatuation earns it a prominent spot on our list of the most beautiful love poems ever written.

"Rondel of Merciless Beauty" by Geoffrey Chaucer

Upon my word, I tell you faithfullyThrough life and after death you are my queen;For with my death the whole truth shall be seen.Your two great eyes will slay me suddenly;Their beauty shakes me who was once serene;Straight through my heart the wound is quick and keen.

Widely regarded as the ‘Father of English poetry’, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote some of the most renowned works of the English language, including ‘The Canterbury Tales’ and ‘The Book of the Duchess’. The standalone poem ‘Rondel of Merciless Beauty’ (here translated from Middle English) recounts Chaucer’s heartbreak after being left by the love of his life, pledging his everlasting devotion to her even though it pains him.