Last year for Valentine’s Day, I dedicated a post to my beautiful and amazing wife, including thoughts on love by well-known writers. This year, I’d like to do something similar, since she liked it so much.

I’m a reader of classic literature and something of a writer (if blogging and curriculum development count as writing), but I’m pathetically poor at expressing my love for those dearest to me. I say “I love you” on a regular basis to my wife and daughters, but that can seem just perfunctory habit. It too often feels that way. The truth is, I love my wife and girls more than they could possibly know. Maybe because I spend so much time thinking about words and evaluating writing that I am most critical of my own. Sometimes I’d rather say nothing than try to put what I feel into words and muck it up.

So, today, I’ll let others speak for me. What I present to you below are not merely quotes by great writers, but great writers speaking through great characters about their great love.

Readers, enjoy and feel free to share.

Melanie, my valentine for more than 25 years, I picked every one of these with you in mind. (My favorite is from Winnie the Pooh).

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Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below!