26 Self-Love Poems for Confidence and Self-Esteem
Practicing self-love is one of the most important things you can do as a woman. It helps you look after yourself, lift you up when you need it, build confidence, and see yourself in a positive light. So, today I’m sharing some beautiful self-love poems to remind you how worthy you are of everything good life has to offer.
I’m sharing some famous poems by the likes of Maya Angelou as well as many beautiful poems from current poets who share their magical words on social media.
Where available I’ll also link to some corresponding poetry books so you can find even more inspiration.
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Inspiring Self-Love Poetry To Support Your True Self
1. Rupi Kaur
A short poem from the book, The Sun and Her Flowers.
It was when I stopped searching for home within others
and lifted the foundations of home within myself
I found there were no roots more intimate
than those between a mind and body
that have decided to be whole
– rupi kaur
2. Fall in love with yourself, bentlily
Be kind to others
but fall in love
with yourself.
Find your flaws
endearing.
Given your pick
make it your flesh
you would choose
to inhabit.
See more bentilly poetry here
3. Jennae Cecelia
From the book, don’t hurry to tomorrow.
My past no longer defines me,
But I’m reminded that it played a part in who I have become.
And you know what?
She’s someone I now look at with love.
Because she didn’t know then all she was truly capable of.
4. Phenomenal Woman – Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
5. A Love Note To My Body – Cleo Wade
A love note to my body:
first of all, I want to say thank you.
for the heart you kept beating
even when it was broken
for every answer you gave me in my gut
for loving me back even when I didn’t know how to love you
for every time you recovered when I pushed you past our limits
for today,
for waking up.
6. Nikita Gill
I am trying to love my body
with the gentle care I would give
to a lover’s.
I am learning to look at myself
and count my blessings
and not curses.
I am trying to baptise
what I have named
flaws with holier words.
Every imperfection on this flesh
part of a whole galaxy
that makes up my skin.
Every wrinkle
a map to all the women
I have been.
– Nikita Gill
7. Yung Pueblo
You can be a kind and loving
person while also making sure that
no one takes advantage of you.
8. Melody Godfred
Self love is my
Butterfly effect
I love myself and
Across the world
Others do, too
We rewrite our histories
We design our futures
No longer hidden by our
Doubt, shame, or fear
The universe bends
To welcome us.
9. r.h.sin
She’s focused on cultivating the type of life that feels a little softer. She’s focused on securing a future where she can thrive. She’s open to love but it has to be right. She’s done wasting her energy, she’s taking her time back. She’s choosing herself.
10. Michaela Angemeer
From the book, please love me at my worst.
you deserve to be loved without condition.
you are enough.
without trying harder.
without learning new things.
without accomplishments.
without success.
without getting bigger or smaller.
without getting smarter.
without changing anything at all.
you are enough, just as you are.
11. Alexandra Vasiliu
I hope
You hear my love
Whispering
In your heart,
You can do amazing things.
12. On Self-Worth, Nikita Gill
You are more than
what you can do for other people.
More than your productivity.
More than the joy you give others.
More than how many pieces you give away
before it feels like you have lost yourself.
You are more than the bruises of your past,
but, most of all, you are more
than what you tell yourself every night,
alone in the dark,
wishing and pleading with a universe
that you do not think can hear you
to be prettier, stronger, brighter, better.
The universe already thinks of you as a star.
It knows that you are already
its wildest dream come true.
Just like this.
Just as you are.
13. Self-Love – Lang Leav
From the book, Self Love for Small Town Girls
Once when I was running,
from all that hunted me;
to the dark I was succumbing –
to what hurt unbearably.
Searching for the one thing,
that would set my sad soul free.
In time I stumbled upon it,
an inner calm and peace;
and now I am beginning,
to see and to believe,
in who I am becoming –
and all I’ve yet to be.
Find more Lang Leav poems on Instagram @langleav
14. Melody Godfred
From the book, Self Love Poetry: For Thinkers & Feelers
Fear of confrontation used to silence me.
Self love raised my voice.
Fear of failure used to immobilize me.
Self love emboldened me.
Fear of judgement used to consume me.
Self love made me whole.
Fear of abandonment used to anchor me.
Self love helped me set sail.
15. Rhapsody by Florence Earle Coates
As the mother bird to the waiting nest,
As the regnant moon to the sea,
As joy to the heart that hath first been blest—
So is my love to me.
Sweet as the song of the lark that soars
From the net of the fowler free,
Sweet as the morning that song adores—
So is my love to me!
As the rose that blossoms in matchless grace
Where the canker may not be,
As the well that springs in a desert place—
So is my love to me.
16. Jody Lynn
If your ocean is dry
the salt scraped away
dig dear, dig deep
till you reach
the flood of love
buried beneath
I see its trace
in those rivers
running down your face
unforgettable
beauty shimmers
from the sea
underneath
17. Becca Lee
And some days I forget
what it is to be gentle with myself –
how to look at myself with kind eyes
and speak to myself with soft words.
Forget that I am my home
and a temple worthy of worship.
18. Dear Body, Tiffany Moule
Dear Body
I’m sorry for the hurtful things I’ve said,
you are always there, protecting and nourishing me…
19. Self-Confidence by Daya Nandan
Building up self-confidence is a vital thing,
For it can put you on the path to becoming a king,
Self-confidence for making decisions and taking chances,
Self-confidence for success in future advances,
You need self-confidence no matter what you do,
For without it you cannot unlock potential so true,
Be it in studying, relationships or winning a fight,
Having low self-esteem is being lost in darkness without light,
Build self-confidence inside, nourish the spirit within,
Let it radiate through your actions and your outer skin,
Embrace self-confidence, let it be your life’s magic key,
For it will open many doors towards a brighter destiny,
Believe in yourself, self-confidence will plant the seed,
And in time it will bare the fruit of courage that you need,
It will aid you greatly, a means to change the circumstances ahead,
Use it wisely and well but never let too much get to your head.
20. Langston Hughes
She,
In the dark,
Found light
Brighter than many ever see.
She,
Within herself,
Found liveliness,
Through the soul’s own mastery.
And now the world received
From her dower:
The message of strength
Of inner power.
21. J. Střelou
If I take small steps
towards loving myself every day,
then in a year,
I will be my greatest love.
22. Dear Past Me, Jennae Cecilia
Dear past me,
I just want you to know
That your sun rose
Even though you thought
It never would.
You did not just chase your dreams,
You got them.
You found beauty in areas
You saw flaws.
I cannot wait for you to meet
This YOU.
Love,
Present Me
👉 Try writing your own love letter to your past self and hold it close to your heart.
23. Nikita Gill, from Fierce Fairytales
Her mother told her
she could growup to be
anything she wanted to be,
So she grew up to become
The strongest of the strong,
The strangest of the strange,
The wildest of the wild,
The wolf leading the wolves.
24. Befriend Yourself, Beau Taplin
Befriend yourself. It’s a fact of life that those you
love won’t be available every moment you
need them. We all lead busy lives and have our
own difficulties to address.
Reality is, sometimes you’ll be all you have,
so you might as well learn to enjoy the company.
25. Inner Light, Melcine Germain
Delving into one’s inner soul,
studying what makes one whole.
Forgetting oneself yet becoming aware,
learning knowledge of which one may share.
Knowing not of anything you see,
forgetting one’s possibility.
Finding a way to free one’s mind,
learning not yet of mankind.
To be enlightened by all things,
with an image of only a ring.
26. Wild Violet – Amanda Lovelace
i have a history of staying in places i’ve long outgrown.
you see, i was always told to stay as small as possible― even if it’s uncomfortable, even if it hurts.
from this day forward, i vow to let myself bloom freely- even if others see me as an annoyance, even if they see me as a weed.
-wild violet. amanda lovelace
How To Use These Self-Love Poems
What’s the best way to use these self-love poems?
Here are some ideas on how to use these poems to further your self-love practice.
- Positive affirmations: Take parts of the poems and use the words as daily affirmations.
- Journal: Write your favourite poems in a journal so you can refer back to later. You can also write your thoughts on what the poem means to you and your life.
- Morning or evening routine: Start or end your day with self-love poetry to remind yourself of your hard work and resilience, your inner strength and growing self confidence
- Write some of these poems on sticky notes and place them on a vision board
- When you’re having a down day: Turn to these poems when you need to support your mental health and provide yourself with inner peace.
- Discuss with friends: Have friends who love poetry or want to practice more self-love? Similar to a book club you could arrange a poetry club and discuss what these poems mean to you.
Final Thoughts
I hope you loved reading this self love poetry collection as much as I loved putting it together.
These beautiful words from poetic masters are here to remind us that:
- We are our own best friends
- We should always stand beside and stand up for ourselves every single day
- Prioritizing personal growth leads to us discovering our own truth and becoming the best versions of ourselves, for ourselves
- Self-love is a kind of love we all need to give ourselves, in good times and bad
- We can be in a better place when we set our mind to it
- Getting out of our comfort zone can be a form of self love – to help you reach our goals and dreams
What Self-Love Poem Do You Most Connect With?
Or do you have any other poems or self-love quotes you’d like to share?
Leave a comment below and let us know!
More Self-Love Resources:
- The Importance of Self-Love + 7 Self-Love Exercises
- 21 Self-Worth Exercises To Conquer Low Self-Esteem
- 110 Self-Compassion Affirmations to Practice Kindness
About Yolanda
Website Owner / Content Creator
I’m passionate about helping you live life to the fullest so you can choose to find happiness and purpose. Learn how to CREATE THE LIFE YOU LOVE with intentional living and discovery of the simple things life has to offer. Learn more!
