Famous love letters

To Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

     ...would I,  if I could,  supplant one of any of the affections that I know to have taken root in you - that great and solemn one, for instance.
     I feel that if I could get myself remade,  as if turned to gold,
     I WOULD not even then desire to become more than the mere setting to that diamond you must always wear.

     The regard and esteem you now give me,  in this letter,  and which I press to my heart and bow my head upon,  is all I can take and all too embarrassing,  using all my gratitude.

- Robert Browning
(1812-1889)

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Beethoven to His Immortal Beloved

Letter 1 July 6, in the morning My angel, my all, my very self -      Only a few words today and at that with pencil (with yours) - Not till tomorrow will my lodgings be definitely determined upon - what a useless waste of time -      Why this deep sorrow when necessity speaks - can our love endure except through sacrifices, through not demanding everything from one another; can you change the fact that you are not wholly mine, I not wholly thine -      Oh God, look out into the beauties of nature and comfort your heart with that which must be -      Love demands everything and that very justly - thus it is to me with you, and to you with me.      But you forget so easily that I must live for me and for you; if we were wholly united you would feel the pain of it as little as I -      My journey was a fearful one; I did not reach here until 4 o'clock yesterday morning. Lacking horses the post-coach chose another route, but what an awful one; at the stage before the last I was warned not to travel at night; I was made fearful of a forest, but that only made me the more eager - and I was wrong.      The coach must needs break down on the wretched road, a bottomless mud road.      Without such postilions as I had with me I should have remained stuck in the road.      Esterhazy, traveling the usual road here, had the same fate with eight horses that I had with four - Yet I got some pleasure out of it, as I always do when I successfully overcome difficulties -      Now a quick change to things internal from things external.      We shall surely see each other soon; moreover, today I cannot share with you the thoughts I have had during these last few days touching my own life -      If our hearts were always close together, I would have none of these.      My heart is full of so many things to say to you - ah - there are moments when I feel that speech amounts to nothing at all -      Cheer up - remain my true, my only treasure, my all as I am yours.      The gods must send us the rest, what for us must and shall be - Your faithful LUDWIG

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Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Love Letter After Marriage

You will only expect a few words, what will those be? When the heart is full it may run over, but the real fullness stays within. You asked me yesterday "if I should repent?" Yes, my own Ba, I could with all the past were to do over again, that in it I might somewhat more, never so little more, conform in the outward homage, to the inward feeling, What I have professed, (for I have performed nothing) seems to fall short of what my first love required even, and when I think of this moment's love...I could repent, as I say. Words can never tell you, however, form them, transform them anyway, how perfectly dear you are to me, perfectly dear to my heart and soul. I look back, and in every one point, every word and gesture, every letter, every silence, you have been entirely perfect to me, I would not change one word, one look. My hope and aim are to preserve this love, not to fall from it, for which I trust to God who procured it for me, and doubtless can preserve it. Enough now, my dearest, dearest, own Ba! You have given me the highest, completest proof of love that ever one human being gave another. I am all gratitude, and all pride (under the proper feeling which ascribes pride to the right source) all pride that my life has been so crowned by you. God bless you prays your very own R.