It was midterms week, when each English teacher sits facing a towering mound of ungraded papers, the handwriting increasingly deteriorating towards the conclusion paragraphs, some essays looking like messy treasure maps with randomly-placed asterisks and last-minute add-ons.

This was the week I so considerately picked to pop the question. Most however, some almost instantaneously, emailed me back with their favorite literary couple, many putting more than one, slightly assuaging my guilt over my terrible timing by telling me that it was a nice break from grading to think up their favorite couples.

Surprisingly, some of the bigger names in romantic literature were passed over by our English teachers; Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, and Romeo and Juliet did not make the cut. However, many of the couples chosen are from books the teachers teach right in their classes – it’s kind of nice knowing we get to read some of the greatest love stories ever penned in the English language.

So with Valentine’s Day looming ever closer, browse through their choices – whether or not you agree, you’ll definitely find a couple good reads to peruse over February break!