Soulmate Quotes: Sourced Lines From Books, Poems and Films
Soulmate quotes are lines about a person who feels like a perfect match, and the oldest source for the idea is Plato’s Symposium. The lines below are limited to ones with a named source, so you can use them on a card or in a speech without repeating a misattribution.
Where the idea of a soulmate comes from
In Plato’s Symposium (c. 385 BC), the comic playwright Aristophanes gives a speech saying humans were originally round creatures with four arms and four legs. Zeus split them in two, and each half has been searching for the other since. Plato does not use the word “soulmate.” The speech is the origin of the “other half” idea.
A related line comes from Diogenes Laërtius, who reports that when Aristotle was asked what a friend is, he answered “a single soul dwelling in two bodies.” This is a report by a later writer, not a line from Aristotle’s own works.
Quotes from novels
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
— Catherine Earnshaw, in Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights (1847), Chapter 9
Catherine says this to the housekeeper Nelly while explaining why she can’t marry for convenience. She follows it with “I am Heathcliff.”
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.”
— Captain Wentworth, in a letter to Anne Elliot, Jane Austen, Persuasion (1817), Chapter 23
This is from the letter Wentworth leaves for Anne after overhearing her speak. It is one of the most quoted lines in Austen.
Quotes from poems and essays
“i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)”
— E.E. Cummings, “[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]” (1952)
“Let there be spaces in your togetherness.”
— Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet (1923), “On Marriage”
Gibran’s passage argues that a close pair should stay separate people. It is a less common choice for a soulmate quote and a more useful one for a wedding reading.
Quotes from films
“You complete me.”
— Jerry Maguire, Jerry Maguire (1996)
“I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day.”
— Noah Calhoun, The Notebook (2004)
Jerry’s line is a direct take on the Platonic “other half.” Noah’s is a statement of commitment, delivered during an argument, and is closer to what people mean when they search for soulmate captions today.
Lines that look sourced but are not
Many soulmate quotes online carry a famous name with no citation. A frequent example is a quote credited to Plato about “a soul looking for its other half.” Plato’s text supports the idea but not the exact wording found in most graphics. If you see a name attached to a sentence with no work title, treat the name as unverified.
Choosing one
For a wedding card or anniversary note, the Cummings line is short and fully sourced. For a speech, the Brontë line works because Catherine’s meaning is clear from one sentence. For a friend, the Aristotle report fits better than the romantic quotes.
Related pages: love is all you need quotes, the Clarence quote in It’s a Wonderful Life on friendship, and how to break down what a quote means.
FAQ
Who invented the idea of a soulmate?
Plato’s Symposium is the earliest well-known source, in the speech given to Aristophanes. The word “soulmate” itself appears in English in the early 1800s.
Is “you complete me” from a book?
No. It is from the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, written and directed by Cameron Crowe.
Can I use these quotes in a wedding speech?
Yes. Short quotations with the author named are common practice. Reading a full poem aloud may need permission if it is still under copyright.
Did Aristotle say a friend is one soul in two bodies?
It is reported by Diogenes Laërtius in Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. It is not found in Aristotle’s surviving writings.