Chemistry, often perceived as an abstract and technical discipline, has in fact permeated literature since its origins. Elements, reactions, metaphors for the properties and transformations of matter appear in sacred texts, medieval poems, Elizabethan drama, and the modern novels. This article offers a journey through some major literary works, demonstrating how chemistry – explicit or implicit – becomes a narrative, symbolic, and cognitive tool. This journey could offer chemistry education new insights, capable of connecting science, history, creativity, and imagination.