Sad Love Poems

Sad love poems are all about how much love hurts sometimes.

We've chosen five examples of poems where the poets have all endured pain through feeling love. Some are sad because the object of their desires doesn't feel the same way about them. While others feel pain because their loved one is no longer with them for one reason or another.

She Who is Always in my Thoughts - Bhartrhari (5th Century)

She who is always in my thoughts prefers
Another man, and does not think of me.
Yet he seeks for another's love, not hers;
And some poor girl is grieving for my sake.
Why then, the devil take
Both her and him; and love; and her; and me.

Remember - Christina Rossetti (1830 –1894)

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Body, Remember – C.P Cavafy (1863-1933)

Body, remember not only how much you were loved,
Not only the beds on which you lay,
But also those desires for you
That glowed plainly in the eyes,
And trembled in the voice – and some
Chance obstacle made futile.
Now that all of them belong to the past,
It almost seems as if you had yielded
To those desires – how they glowed,
Remember, in the eyes gazing at you;
How they trembled in the voice, for you, remember,
Body.

How Can I Forget - John Clare (1793-1864)

That farewell voice of love is never heard again,
Yet I remember it and think on it with pain:
I see the place she spoke when passing by,
The flowers were blooming as her form drew nigh,
That voice is gone, with every pleasing tone –
Loved but one moment and the next alone.
'Farewell' the winds repeated as she went
Walking in silence through the grassy bent;
The wild flowers – they ne'er looked so sweet before –
Bowed in farewells to her they'll see no more.
In this same spot the wild flowers bloom the same
In scent and hue and shape, ay, even name.
'Twas here she said farewell and no one yet
Has so sweet spoken – How can I forget?

And our last example of sad love poems...

My Heart is Lame - Charlotte Mew 1869-1928

My heart is lame with running after yours so fast
Such a long way,
Shall we walk slowly home, looking at all the things we passed
Perhaps to-day?

Home down the quiet evening roads under the quiet skies,
Not saying much,
You for a moment giving me your eyes
When you could bear my touch.

But not to-morrow. This has taken all my breath;
Then, though you look the same,
There may be something lovelier in Love's face in death
As your heart sees it, running back the way we came;
My heart is lame.

If you've been moved by these sad love poems why not read our selection of romantic love poems, funny love poems and short love poems.

Return from Sad Love Poems to Love Poems