Joyce Kilmer: Quotes about love

Joyce Kilmer was American poet, editor, literary critic, soldier. Explore interesting quotes on love.
Joyce Kilmer: 84   quotes 3   likes

“I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.”

"Trees" - This poem was first published in Poetry: A Magazine of Verse Vol. 2 (August 1913). The first two lines were first written down on the 2nd of February 1913.
Trees and Other Poems (1914)
Source: Trees & Other Poems
Context: I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

“And now deep in his weary heart
Are sacred flames that whitely burn.
He has of Heaven's grace a part
Who loves, who is beloved in turn.”

Trees and Other Poems (1914), Delicatessen
Context: For, once he thrilled with high romance
And tuned to love his eager voice.
Like any cavalier of France
He wooed the maiden of his choice.
And now deep in his weary heart
Are sacred flames that whitely burn.
He has of Heaven's grace a part
Who loves, who is beloved in turn.

“And it was grief that made Mankind your lover,
And it was grief that made you love Mankind.”

Main Street and Other Poems (1917), In Memory
Context: Your eyes, that looked on glory, could discover
The angry scar to which the world was blind:
And it was grief that made Mankind your lover,
And it was grief that made you love Mankind.

“It seems appropriate to me to state
According to a venerable and agreeable custom,
That I love a beautiful lady.”

Main Street and Other Poems (1917), A Blue Valentine
Context: It seems appropriate to me to state
According to a venerable and agreeable custom,
That I love a beautiful lady.
Her eyes, Monsignore,
Are so blue that they put lovely little blue reflections
On everything that she looks at,
Such as a wall
Or the moon
Or my heart.

“There lie many fighting men.
Dead in their youthful prime
Never to laugh nor love again
Nor taste the Summertime.”

"Rouge Bouquet" (1918)
Context: In a wood they call the Rouge Bouquet,
There is a new-made grave today,
Built by never a spade nor pick,
Yet covered with earth ten meteres thick.
There lie many fighting men.
Dead in their youthful prime
Never to laugh nor love again
Nor taste the Summertime.

“The song within your heart could never rise
Until love bade it spread its wings and soar.”

Main Street and Other Poems (1917), In Memory