Famous Love Quotes from Literature and Where They Come From

Quotes travel far from their source. Knowing where a line comes from can make it richer, and stops you attributing it wrongly.

Quotes and their sources

Quote	Author	Source
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind."	William Shakespeare	A Midsummer Night's Dream
"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."	Emily Brontë	Wuthering Heights
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."	Elizabeth Barrett Browning	Sonnets from the Portuguese
"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction."	Antoine de Saint-Exupéry	Wind, Sand and Stars
"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope."	Jane Austen	Persuasion
"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved."	Pablo Neruda	Sonnet XVII

The context behind them

• Shakespeare puts his line in a comedy about mistaken love and magic. It suggests that love is about seeing with understanding, not only with appearance.
• Brontë's line is spoken by Catherine in a stormy, intense novel. It expresses a deep bond, though the relationship in the book is far from gentle.
• Barrett Browning's sonnet belongs to a sequence of love poems she wrote to her future husband, Robert Browning.
• Saint-Exupéry was a French writer and aviator. The quote describes love as shared direction rather than mutual staring.
• Austen's line comes from a letter written by Captain Wentworth to Anne Elliot in Persuasion, and is one of the most admired declarations in English fiction.
• Neruda's line comes from a sonnet about love that is quiet and intimate.

Why context matters

A line lifted from its context can change meaning. Brontë's quote, for instance, is passionate but comes from a novel about a turbulent relationship. Knowing this may change whether it suits your message.

Beware of misattributed quotes

Many popular "love quotes" are wrongly credited to famous people. If you want to attribute a quote, check its source. If you can't verify it, you can simply say "as the saying goes" or leave the author out.

Using quotes in messages

A quote can say what you struggle to express. It works best when paired with a line of your own. The True Love Calculator app includes a library of love quotes you can browse and share, and you can always add your own words alongside.

Tips

1. Check the source.
2. Consider the context.
3. Add a personal line.

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