'Blue Valentine' is also a notable one. It shows the breakdown of a relationship. We see the couple in different timelines, from their passionate beginning to the sad end. It's a raw and realistic portrayal of how love can fade and turn into something painful.
'Tears of a Broken Heart: A Sad Love Story'. This title directly tells the reader that the story is about a love that has broken someone's heart and led to sadness. There's a clear indication of the emotional state that the story will explore.
My red tears wet my silk dress, and my soul falls into my dreams.
It was from Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Regret in the Tang Dynasty.
They used to love each other, but now they forgot each other.
It comes from Wang Zhihuan's "Climbing the Stork Tower" in Tang Dynasty.
It's hard to get rid of the clouds on Mount Wu.
From the Tang Dynasty Yuan Zhen's "Separation of Five Songs, the Fourth."
As long as the heavens and earth last, this regret will never end.
It was from Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Regret in the Tang Dynasty.
They had met before, but not by fate.
It came from Wang Changling's "Furong Lou Seeing Xin Jian Off" in Tang Dynasty.
He once had it, but now he lost it.
It comes from Wang Bo's "Sending Du Shaofu to Shuzhou."
If the love between the two is long, how can it be morning and evening?
It came from Qin Guan's "Magpie Bridge Immortal" in the Tang Dynasty.
As time passed, things remained the same and people changed.
It was from Li Qingzhao's Dream Order of the Tang Dynasty.
May all lovers in the world finally get married, but the once miserable love story has become a classic sentence: Forever and earth will sometimes end, this hatred will never end.
The separation of the two main characters makes it sad. They have a deep love for each other in the past but are forced apart for various reasons. Years later, when they meet again, they still have feelings for each other but there are so many things that have changed and they can't easily get back together.
The story might be sad because of unrequited love. Maybe one of the characters loves the other deeply but that love is not fully returned, which often leads to heartbreak and a sense of loss.
For a sad love story, minor keys are often a good choice. Notes in a minor scale like A minor can bring out the melancholy feeling. Slow, descending notes can also add to the sadness, as they can represent the downward spiral of a failing relationship.
One of the best is 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green. It tells the story of two teenagers with cancer who fall in love. Their love is beautiful yet tragic as they face the harsh reality of their illness.
Unrequited love is a common theme. Just like in many cases where one best friend loves the other, but the feelings are not reciprocated. Another theme is the loss of friendship. When love enters the picture and isn't mutual, it often damages the friendship. For example, the one with unrequited love may start to distance themselves to avoid pain.
One of the best is 'The Notebook'. It's a story of Noah and Allie. They fall in love young but are separated by class differences. Years later, Noah still loves Allie who has Alzheimer's. His act of reading their story to her every day to make her remember their love is both romantic and deeply sad.
Once there were two best friends, Lily and Tom. They had been friends since childhood. Lily secretly loved Tom but was too afraid to tell. One day, Tom introduced his new girlfriend. Lily was heartbroken but still pretended to be happy for him. She slowly distanced herself to hide her pain, and their once - beautiful friendship faded away in the shadow of unrequited love.