35 Poetry Prompts for Your Next Love Poem

Love poems are timeless classics, a beautiful way to express our deepest feelings. But sometimes, even the most passionate heart needs a little nudge.

If you’re staring at a blank page, fret no more!

This post is brimming with prompts to inspire your next love poem, whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith or a poetic beginner.

Best Poetry Prompts for Your Next Love Poem

The First Moment: Recall the very first time you noticed this person. What specific detail caught your eye? Explore the emotions and sensations of that initial spark, however subtle or dramatic it may have been.

The Language of Touch: Love isn’t just expressed verbally. Think about how this person’s touch makes you feel—the way their hand rests in yours, the brush of a kiss. Capture those moments of physical connection and convey the emotions they stir within you.

A Shared Memory: Reflect on a significant memory you share—an inside joke, a place filled with meaning, a special experience. Explore how this shared memory defines your bond and evokes unique feelings within you.

An Ordinary Object Made Extraordinary: Choose a simple, everyday object associated with your beloved (their favorite coffee mug, their reading glasses, etc). Use this object as a springboard to delve into thoughts of intimacy, shared moments, and the way their presence imbues even mundane things with warmth.

Contrast and Complement: Consider how you and your beloved are different, yet how those differences complement and strengthen your bond. Use contrasting imagery to highlight these differences, then focus on the beauty of how you fit together.

Love in a Hypothetical World: Place your love story in a fantastical or alternate setting (a different historical era, a magical realm, etc.). How does love conquer adversity or blossom differently in that environment?

Love as a Natural Force: Compare your love to something found in the natural world—a blossoming flower, an enduring mountain, a restless ocean. Explore the parallels in strength, persistence, and the ever-changing nature of both.

The Future Unwritten: Imagine a future with your beloved—a dream you share, a place you hope to visit, the simple act of growing old together. Let those future hopes and promises shape a poem celebrating the potential of your love.

The Sound of Love: If your love had a soundtrack, what would it be? Would it be a symphony, a soft melody, or something else entirely? Explore the way their voice sounds, a shared favorite song, or even the rhythm of their laughter, and let it inspire your poem.

Imperfect Perfection: True love embraces flaws alongside strengths. Focus on a small quirk or imperfection in your beloved, something that makes them even more endearing to you. Transform this characteristic through the lens of love, focusing on its endearing qualities.

A Letter Unsent: Write a love poem in the form of a letter you’ll never actually send. This can allow you to express raw emotions, secret yearnings, or dreams you might not have been brave enough to voice out loud.

Love as a Journey: Map out your relationship’s journey, not just in terms of milestones but through the internal growth it has triggered. Were there turning points, lessons learned, moments of revelation about yourself because of this love?

Sense and Scent: Focus on a specific scent that reminds you of your beloved—their perfume/cologne, the smell of their skin, or even a scent associated with them (fresh coffee, a favorite food, etc.). Explore how this scent triggers memories and emotions within you.

The Colors of Love: Choose a color that symbolizes your love (not necessarily the traditional red!). Is it the warm yellow of comfortable companionship? The cool blue of tranquility? Let this color guide your poem’s vocabulary and imagery.

The Anti-Love Poem: This challenges the traditional sweetness of love poems. Think about the frustrations, doubts, or even the fleeting moments of irritation that are a natural part of relationships. Explore these darker emotions, and perhaps conclude with how love ultimately triumphs over them.

From Another Perspective: Write a love poem from the viewpoint of someone or something else observing your relationship. This could be a pet, an inanimate object in your home, or even a stranger witnessing a tender moment between you and your beloved.

The Unseen You: Focus on an aspect of your beloved’s personality that the world might not readily see. Write about their hidden dreams, their inner strength, or a vulnerability they rarely show. Celebrate the person they are beyond the surface.

A Moment Frozen in Time: Describe a single, fleeting moment that encapsulates your love – a stolen glance, a shared laugh, a word whispered softly. Expand on that tiny fragment, drawing out the vast landscape of emotion it contains.

Love as a Verb: Think about love as an action, not just a feeling. Choose a specific verb that describes the way you (or your beloved) express your love (protects, nurtures, inspires, etc.). Let this verb shape and guide your poem.

Legacy of Love: Imagine the legacy of your love story. Is there a lesson to be passed down, a memory to be cherished, an impact you’ll have on the world together? Explore your love’s long-term effect on yourself, others, or even the wider world.

Micro-poetry: Challenge yourself to write an entire love poem in just a few lines or even a handful of words. Focus on precision and imagery to pack an emotional punch in a tiny package.

Love as a Question: Pose a question about love that your poem attempts to answer or at least explores. Example questions could be: “What is the shape of love?”, “Does love have a weight?”, “Can love be measured?”

Love Letter to a Place: Is there a place with special significance in your relationship? It could be where you met, a favorite vacation spot, or even a simple shared corner of your home. Write a love poem dedicated to the place, celebrating the emotions and memories it holds for you.

Ode to a “Love Language”: Do you and your partner express love through acts of service, words of affirmation, gifts, physical touch, or quality time? Choose one of these “love languages” and write an ode to how it demonstrates and strengthens your connection.

The Geometry of Love: Explore the shapes and lines that come to mind when you think of your love. Are there circles of comfort, sharp angles of passion, or the steady parallel lines of companionship? Use geometric imagery to convey the abstract shapes of your emotions.

Love as a Recipe: If your love were a recipe, what ingredients would it contain? Some sweetness, a dash of spice, a pinch of the unexpected? Write your poem as a recipe, revealing the unique blend of elements that make your love special.

Inspired by Art: Choose a famous painting, sculpture, or piece of music that evokes feelings similar to those your love stirs within you. Describe your feelings toward your beloved using imagery and themes inspired by this artwork.

The Language of Absence: Explore the space left behind when your beloved is away. Focus on what you miss – their voice, the feel of their hand, a shared ritual. Let this absence become a poignant testament to your connection.

The Playlist Poem: Create a playlist of songs that tell the story of your love – the joyful highs, the bittersweet moments, the songs that always remind you of each other. Weave the song titles or lyrics into your poem, creating a narrative with a built-in soundtrack.

Love Through Another’s Eyes: Write a poem from the perspective of a close friend or family member who knows you well. Let them describe your love, the way you change when you’re with your beloved, and the joy they see reflected in your connection.

Through the Lens of Time: Write a series of short poems representing different stages of your love story. Capture a moment from the past, express emotions in the vibrant present, and write a third section envisioning an imagined future for your love.

A Found Poem of Love: Search through a book, magazine, or newspaper and cut out words and phrases that resonate with your feelings about love. Assemble these into a ‘found poem’ that expresses the unique essence of your connection.

Love as a Paradox: Love is full of contradictions – it can be both comfort and wildness, familiar and surprising. Choose a paradox associated with love (e.g. freedom in commitment, strength in surrender) and explore how it manifests in your relationship.

A Dialogue with Your Younger Self: Write a love poem as a conversation between the person you are now and your younger self. Would your younger self be surprised at who you love? What advice or reassurance about love would your present self want to share?

Love as a Supernatural Element: If love were a magical potion, a mythical creature, or a powerful force of nature, what form would it take? Describe its characteristics, its powers, and its effect on the world around it, mirroring the transformative nature of love itself.