Romance has been a beloved literary theme for centuries. From the grand love stories of Shakespearean dramas to poignant and personal modern tales, romance has been woven into the fabric of epic adventures, historical sagas, and heartbreaking tragedies alike.
The details of these passionate entanglements — the flutter of a first glance, the ache of an unattainable love — have the power to evoke visceral reactions and emotions. These stories explore human connection, often while transcending cultural boundaries.
A great literary romance doesn’t just leave a lasting impression of witnessing someone else’s love story; it also taps into our own desires and vulnerabilities. It delves into the complexities of human relationships: the good, the bad, and, hopefully, the ultimate triumph of the heart over differences of all kinds.
This selection of 13 of the most romantic lines in literature will surely stir your heart, each its own testament to the enduring power of love in storytelling.
He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.Leo Tolstoy, “Anna Karenina”
You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, every day we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours.Nicholas Sparks, “The Notebook”
I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation [for falling in love with you] … I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.Jane Austen, "Pride and Prejudice"
Wherever you are is my home — my only home.Charlotte Brontë, “Jane Eyre”
For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.Diana Gabaldon, “Outlander”
Don’t ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it.Toni Morrison, “Jazz”
Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.William Goldman, “The Princess Bride”
Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.Emily Brontë, “Wuthering Heights”
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be morrow.William Shakespeare, “Romeo and Juliet”
I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.Charles Dickens, “Great Expectations”
I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.John Green, “The Fault in Our Stars”
I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.Paulo Coelho, “The Alchemist”
Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.Louis de Bernières, “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”
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