Who doesn't love a little literary sizzle?  

People have penned steamy verses that leave us blushing all throughout history. And from the earliest erotic plays to today's erotic literature and audio stories, it’s only gotten better. 

Don’t leave behind sex poems. Erotic poetry is some of the oldest sexual content around, standing in the shadows of its long-form companions — and it's time to shine a light on the darkness. 

20 poems about sex to get you in the mood  

Erotic poetry is the perfect medium for exploring intimacy. Much of it has been written by women, and sex poems are the ideal erotica for couples, painting vivid and poetic images of lust and romance through carefully chosen words.

As you journey through this curated collection, you'll encounter classic and contemporary verses from the past and present. Whether you're looking for sex fantasy poems for her or seductive poems to turn him on, you'll find something in this list of excerpts:

1. “Sea Poppies” by H.D.

“Sea Poppies” is both a beautiful tribute to the natural world and to the human body.

your stalk has caught root

among wet pebbles

and drift flung by the sea

and grated shells

and split conch-shells.

2. “Desire” by Langston Hughes

This poem was first published in 1947, but the idea’s timeless. One of Hughes’ most popular works, it examines desire between two people. 

Desire to us

Was like a double death,

Swift dying

Of our mingled breath

3. “Emily" by Elise Cowen

Written in 1959 by cult-favorite poet Cowen, “Emily” is said to be a queer love letter to Emily Dickinson. 

Emily,

Come summer,

You'll take off your

jeweled bees

4. “Assurance” by Emma Lazarus 

Lazarus’ poem paints a beautiful picture of what it feels like to wake up next to someone you love.

Last night I slept, and when I woke her kiss

Still floated on my lips. For we had strayed

Together in my dream, through some dim glade,

Where the shy moonbeams scarce dared light our bliss.

5. “Mystery” by D. H. Lawrence 

“Mystery” tells a cryptic story of spiritual power while alluding to sex, worshipping Lawrence’s lover’s body.

And to my lips'

Bright crimson rim

The passion slips,

And down my slim

White body drips

The shining hymn.

6. “If You Were Coming in the Fall” by Emily Dickinson

If you’re in a long-distance relationship, you might relate to “If You Were Coming in the Fall.” It’s about waiting for your love to come to you — no matter how long they’ve been gone.

If you were coming in the Fall,

I'd brush the Summer by

With half a smile, and half a spurn,

As Housewives do, a Fly.

7. “Upon Julia’s Clothes” by Robert Herrick

Methinks this old-timey poem by Robert Herrick is the perfect tribute to wondering what someone looks like under their clothes (and loving it).

Whenas in silks my Julia goes,

Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows

That liquefaction of her clothes.

Next, when I cast mine eyes, and see

That brave vibration each way free,

O how that glittering taketh me!

8. “After Making Love In Winter” by Sharon Olds

This incredibly sexy poem was published in 1987. Olds describes a post-lovemaking scene that’s sure to ring true for many people. 

warm, cool, cold, icy, till the

skin all over my body is ice

except at those points our bodies touch like

blooms of fire.

9. “At the Touch of You” by Witter Bynner

Bynner was a prominent queer poet in the early 20th century, living with his long-term partner until he died. “At the Touch of You” is a short ode to pleasure. 

At the touch of you,

As if you were an archer with your swift hand at the bow,

The arrows of delight shot through my body.

You were spring,

And I the edge of a cliff,

And a shining waterfall rushed over me.

10. “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal, Now the White” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Comparing the female body to a flower never really gets old — and Tennyson gets it in “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal, Now the White.”

Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,

And slips into the bosom of the lake.

So fold thyself, my dearest, thou, and slip

Into my bosom and be lost in me.

11. “Recreation” by Audre Lorde

This stunning feminist love poem compares discovering someone’s body with the act of writing. It was first published in Lorde’s The Black Unicorn collection in 1995.

my body

writes into your flesh

the poem

you make of me.

12. “Prayer in Hell’s Kitchen” by Alex Dimitrov

“Prayer in Hell’s Kitchen” is one of queer Bulgarian poet Dimitrov’s most popular poems. It was published in his collection Begging For It in 2013, which takes readers through the streets and bedrooms of different cities.

We all enter the body alone

and only once. 

We do not get to stay.

13. “The Atheist” by Megan Falley 

This short but powerful poem is only 22 words long. Falley conjures up an image of sex so incredible, it doesn’t need anything more.

The first time we made love I realized why

I never prayed. One human can only say

Oh God so many times.

14. “The Encounter” by Louise Glück

Published in Glück’s 1985 collection The Triumph of Achilles, this poem examines a love so strong that the narrator’s willing to get burned. 

I wanted it to leave a mark:

that’s how I knew I loved you.

15. “Love Sonnet XI” by Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda’s pretty much the king of love poems, so of course he’s making an appearance on this list. “Love Sonnet XI” is one of the most sensual ones about hungry love.

I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body,

the sovereign nose of your arrogant face 

16. “Lust” by Yusef Komunyakaa

This vivid and imaginative poem was published in 1999. It’s an intense description of lust that’ll leave you wanting more (in the style of Timothee Chalamet’s peach). 

…He longs to be

An orange, to feel fingernails

Run a seam through him.

17. “Sex Has a Way” by Wendy Lee

In this poem for long-term lovers, Lee describes how sex can sometimes be a healing salve for her and her husband’s relationship, even during times of conflict and tension. 

Sex has a way of softening limbs,

oiling joints and melding hearts.

18. “Fragment 105(a)” by Sappho

This poem comes from the poet who gave us the term sapphic. It’s about yearning for a lover just out of reach.

You: an Achilles’ apple

Blushing sweet on a high branch

19. “Aubade” by Amy Lowell

This poem from Pulitzer-prize-winning Amy Lowell describes the feeling of opening up another person and seeing their vulnerabilities.

As I would free the white almond from the green husk

So I would strip your trappings off,

Beloved.

20. “My Mouth Hovers Across Your Breasts” by Adrienne Rich

A lesbian feminist icon, Rich is known for her deeply sexual poetry, and this piece is no exception. Don’t miss this incredible description of being in bed with your lover. 

My mouth hovers across your breasts

in the short grey winter afternoon

Explore audio erotica with Quinn 

Romantic poetry and stories are one thing — but audio erotica takes sexiness to a whole new level.

To explore your fantasies through auralism, try Quinn. It offers audio-based ethical porn catering to various sexual preferences and interests, allowing you to explore your body in a new way, alone or with a lover. 

To access thousands of audio stories and guided sessions, download the Quinn app for iOS or Android.