Whether you’re looking for a love poem as inspiration for a wedding reading, or you’re just a book lover with a preference for whimsy, this list is full of passionate prose.

We’ve broken the list into six sections, with love quotes taken from contemporary literature, historic stories, classic novels, books that have become films, love poetry and plays. Some are romance novels entirely: for others, though, love might just be a small part of their stories. Together we think they make a collection of the best romantic quotes from literature, ever.

The 50 most romantic quotes of all time from books, poetry and plays