Love Poems Written in French

Many of the most popular love poems written in French are from 19th century French authors; however, love poems have been written in the language of love for centuries and will surely continue to be written for many more.

In this rundown of French love poems by literary period, you can learn some of the most famous French poets who waxed eloquent on the subject of love. In addition, you will find some titles of famous love poems in French. Whether you'd like to be inspired by a love poem, or tuck a poem inside a card or letter for a loved one, some of these French love poems will inevitably tear at your heartstrings as early as the first time that you read them.

Three 19th century poets wrote often about love. Hugo and Desbordes-Valmore are just two of the poets of this period whose topics often circled around love.

Victor Hugo is perhaps best known for his epic novels, such as Notre Dame de Paris, but what you may not know is that he is also a very celebrated poet. His poems often circle around the theme of love, such as in the beautiful poem Demain, dès l'aube (Tomorrow at First Light). This poem expresses what the person in love is going to do on the next day because he or she is so in love that they cannot stand to stay away from their beloved any longer. The poem begins with the title phrase, which roughly translates to 'Tomorrow, as soon as the first rays of light come through, I will leave'; the poem goes on to describe what he or she is going to do in order to make it to where their beloved is.

Another famous love poem by Victor Hugo is Aimons toujours! Aimons encore! which serves as a reminder to all readers not only of why we, as human beings, love, but also that we should continue to love, despite any pain or difficulty that may come part and parcel with love.

l'Amour is a poem by Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, famous for her intuitive verse and for holding her own in a then typically male-dominated occupation: literature. This poem asks the question of whether or not love can make human beings happy, and explores both sides of the question before affirming that love is, indeed, something that makes us happy.

By the same author, a poem entitled le Premier amour (first love) takes the topic of first love at a bit more of an even keel. les Roses de Saadi is a very well-known love poem by this author, not exclaiming love, but showing an action of love: trying to bring someone so many roses that they all are lost because they can't possibly all be carried, a metaphor for love itself.

Lamartine, among several other love poems, wrote seven poems all entitled Chant d'amour, and simply numbered them from one to seven. Each one has its own charm, but the third one Chant d'amour III is particularly easy to understand. Lamartine is famous for hiding his intention in poetic language (which should come as no surprise from a romantic poet), which makes some of his love poems difficult to understand.

An example of one of his longer love poems, in which the theme of love is embedded in poetic language, is le Lac. This poem laments how quickly time passes, and celebrates love all at once. A more literary poem, this one requires more than a basic understanding of French, but it has the advantage of revealing new angles to you each and every time that you read it.

All of these love poems written in French make great messages to slip inside a Valentine's Day card or print on a plain card and place on your beloved's pillow. Of course, if you've got some cash to spare, you can also express your love by planning a trip to one of France's romantic places for you and your beloved.

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