Poetry and Valentine’s Day share an intrinsic bond, most notably seen in the beloved tradition of composing ‘roses are red, violets are blue’ verses. This playful form of poetry is often dedicated to loved ones on February 14th. Interestingly, the medieval poet Geoffrey Chaucer is sometimes credited with popularizing Valentine’s Day as a romantic occasion, although he never penned a ‘roses are red’ poem. This specific style of poetry emerged in the 18th century, with the anonymous verse appearing in the 1784 collection of nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton’s Garland:
The rose is red, the violet’s blue,
The honey’s sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it should be you.
A popular modern rendition might go as follows:
Roses are red, violets are blue,
Flowers smell good, and so do you.
Such poems tend to be light-hearted, often not taken too seriously. After all, the statements ‘roses are red’ and ‘violets are blue’ aren’t entirely accurate: violets are technically violet-colored, while roses bloom in a spectrum of colors beyond just red.
Now that we’ve established that, let’s delve into the poems themselves. We’ve curated a selection of humorous ‘roses are red’ poems for those aiming to convey a light-hearted or fun message to their Valentine, as well as some more romantic examples to conclude.
Disclaimer: Most of these ‘roses are red’ poems are original creations debuting here, although we encourage you to share them if you wish. Many poems found online tend to be rather uninspired, but we don’t claim that our offerings are any less so. They belong to the whimsical category of poetic creativity that often aims to be amusingly corny.
Funny Poems
- Roses are red, violets are blue,
You may be annoying, but you’re cute with it too. - Roses are red, violets are blue,
My dog has my heart, but you’re all right too. - Roses are red, violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet, it’s nothing like you.
The roses are wilted, the violets are dead,
The sugar is lumpy and so is your head. - Roses are red, lilies are white,
If you want some romance, come over tonight. - Rose is from Persian, violet’s from Latin,
You’d look quite beautiful dressed in white satin. - Roses are flowers, violets are flowers,
I want to caress you for hours and hours. - Violets are blue and roses are red,
You, beautiful rose, should be here in this bed. - Roses are red, or sometimes they’re white,
Violets are violet, so blue’s not quite right,
And roses in fact are a whole range of hues,
But my love is always the same. Now let’s shmooze.
Romantic Poems
- Roses are red, violets are blue,
But flowers mean nothing when I’m not with you. - Roses are red, violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet, and so are you. - Roses are red, violets are blue,
You don’t care for flowers, but I care for you. - Roses are red, violets are blue,
Whatever your dreams are, let’s make them come true. - Roses are red, lilies are white,
I know in my heart you and I are all right. - Roses are red, violets are blue,
I smile every time that I’m with you. - Roses are red, violets are blue,
I’ll love you forever, whatever you do.
Did you discover a rhyme that resonated with you, whether humorous or heartfelt? We hope you found something special! If not, why not skip the conventional red roses and blue violets and instead quote some of the most exquisite love poetry ever crafted when expressing your feelings to that extraordinary someone?