Romantic and magical themes in poetry have been important parts of literature for millennia. In the medieval period these themes became even more popular, and this was especially so due to the popularity of Arthurian legends!
Number 10: Erec and Enide by Chretien de Troyes
~This is the earliest Arthurian poem by Chretien de Troyes, and he would continue to write more literature!
Number 9: Lais de Marie de France by Marie de France
~This poem was written by one of the first female poets to gain popularity in the medieval period.
Number 8: La Cite des Dames by Christine de Pizan
~The poetry of Pizan would continue to be influential for centuries after it was written.
Number 7: The Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun
~This poem was written by two very different writers, and the first was a true believer in courtly love traditions. The second was very skeptical of these traditions, and this gives the poem layers. The first part was a celebration of courtly love, and the second a satire of courtly love!
Number 6: Queen Mab by Percy Bysshe Shelley
~Percy Shelley was one of the great Romantic poets, and this was one of his early and influential poems!
Number 5: The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser
~Spenser was a great poet writing in the Elizabethan era, and this epic poem was an allegory of the court of Elizabeth I!
Number 4: Tristan by Beroul
~One of the best poems that feature the Tristan and Isolde legend!
Number 3: Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart by Chretien de Troyes
~This is the earliest poem to feature the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere!
Number 2: La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats
~This is an absolutely beautiful poem by Romantic poet John Keats! It is easily my favorite Keats poem.
Number 1: Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere: A Fragment by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
~The Victorian period was a time of revival of fascination in the medieval period! Tennyson was an amazing poet and wrote very much about the Arthurian legends.
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Arthur + Guinevere by Ruth Sanderson. I found the image on golpenwoodstudio.com, through pinterest.com.
I hope that you enjoyed my list! Let me know your favorite romantic poems in the comments below!
White Rose of Avalon 