The Relic

Context

• The Relic by John Donne, written during the early 17th century, reflects the poet's complex relationship with religion, particularly his critical stance on the veneration of saints' relics, a common practice in Catholicism. The poem intertwines this critique with a profound meditation on love, suggesting that true love possesses a miraculous, almost sacred quality.
• The poem was likely influenced by Donne's transition from Catholicism to Protestantism, during which he increasingly questioned traditional Catholic practices while exploring the spiritual dimensions of love.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• The poem consists of three stanzas, each with 11 lines, following a unique structure that combines elements of iambic trimeter, tetrameter, and pentameter.
• The rhyme scheme is intricate, following an AABB CDDC EEE pattern in each stanza. This structure enhances the poem's meditative tone, guiding the reader through the speaker's reflections on love, death, and religious practices.
• The rhythmic variation, from trimeter to pentameter, mirrors the poem's shifts from lighter, satirical moments to deeper, more contemplative ones, such as the solemnity of love that transcends death.

Speaker and Setting

• The speaker in The Relic is a contemplative lover who imagines his future grave being disturbed and his remains mistaken for relics of saints. This imaginative scenario serves as a backdrop for the speaker's reflections on love's enduring power and the absurdities of religious superstition.
• The setting is primarily within the speaker's grave, which serves as a metaphorical space for exploring the interplay between love, death, and the religious practices of the time.

Poetic Devices

Conceit:

• The central conceit of the poem is the comparison of the speaker's remains to relics, highlighting the tension between the sacred and the profane.
• The speaker imagines that his bones might be mistaken for relics, saying, "Thou shalt be a Mary Magdalen, and I / A something else thereby," playing on the idea of sainthood while subtly critiquing the practice of relic veneration.

Allusion:

• The poem alludes to Catholic practices and the legend of Mary Magdalen, using these references to critique the misguided devotion that can arise from religious superstition.
• The speaker ironically suggests that future generations might mistake him and his lover for saintly figures, declaring, "Then he, that digs us up, will bring / Us to the bishop, and the king, / To make us relics," mocking the ease with which relics could be created and venerated.

Metaphor:

• Donne uses metaphor to explore the nature of love, particularly in the final stanza where he describes the chaste, spiritual love between the speaker and his beloved.
• The speaker reflects on their relationship, stating, "Difference of sex no more we knew / Than our guardian angels do," comparing their pure, non-physical love to the innocence of angels.

Irony:

• The poem is rich in irony, particularly in its depiction of the speaker and his lover as relics, which satirizes both religious practices and the societal norms around love and death.
• The line "Our hands ne'er touch'd the seals / Which nature, injur'd by late law, sets free," is a subtle critique of how societal laws restrict natural desires, yet the lovers' restraint is presented as a miraculous achievement.

Key Themes

The Miraculous Power of Love

• The poem presents love as a miraculous force that transcends even death, suggesting that true love is as powerful and enduring as any religious miracle.
• The speaker emphasizes, "What miracles we harmless lovers wrought," illustrating how their pure and faithful love stands as a testament to its enduring, almost divine, power.

The Critique of Religious Superstition

• Donne critiques the veneration of relics, highlighting how easily religious practices can become misguided and detached from true spiritual meaning.
• The speaker muses, "If this fall in a time, or land, / Where mis-devotion doth command," pointing to the absurdity of relic worship and the dangers of "mis-devotion."

Spiritual vs. Physical Love

• The poem explores the tension between spiritual and physical love, ultimately elevating the former as a more powerful and transcendent force.
  • The speaker claims, "Difference of sex no more we knew / Than our guardian angels do," suggesting that their love has transcended physical desire to reach a higher, spiritual plane.

Similar Poems

• "The Canonization": This poem also examines the sanctity of love, likening the lovers to saints whose love is worthy of veneration, much like the relics in The Relic.
• "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning": Both poems consider the idea of love as an enduring force that can survive separation, whether by distance or death, emphasizing the spiritual over the physical aspects of love.
• "The Ecstasy": Like The Relic, this poem explores the union of souls and the idea that true love transcends physical boundaries, focusing on the spiritual connection between lovers.

Line by Line Analysis

Stanza 1

Lines 1-7

When my grave is broke up again

Some second guest to entertain,

(For graves have learn'd that woman head,

To be to more than one a bed)

And he that digs it, spies

A bracelet of bright hair about the bone,

Will he not let'us alone,

"When my grave is broke up again / Some second guest to entertain"

• The speaker imagines a time when his grave will be reopened to make room for another burial, a common practice in crowded areas during the Renaissance.
• This image introduces the theme of mortality and the impermanence of earthly things, even in death.

"(For graves have learn'd that woman head, / To be to more than one a bed)"

• The speaker uses a metaphor comparing graves to women, suggesting that just as women might accommodate more than one lover, graves too are shared spaces.
• This metaphor touches on Renaissance anxieties about promiscuity, while also highlighting the communal nature of burial.

"And he that digs it, spies / A bracelet of bright hair about the bone,"

• The speaker imagines the gravedigger discovering a "bracelet of bright hair" around his skeleton, a love token that has endured beyond death.
• The image of the hair, still intact and encircling the bone, symbolizes a love that persists even after physical decay.

"Will he not let'us alone,"

• The speaker wonders if the gravedigger, upon seeing this sign of love, will respect the bond between the lovers and leave their remains undisturbed.
• This plea underscores the desire for privacy and the sanctity of love, even after death.

Lines 8-11

And think that there a loving couple lies,

Who thought that this device might be some way

To make their souls, at the last busy day,

Meet at this grave, and make a little stay?

"And think that there a loving couple lies,"

• The speaker imagines the gravedigger recognizing the hair as a symbol of a loving couple, interpreting it as a sign of their eternal bond.
• This line suggests that love transcends death, leaving behind tangible tokens of connection.

"Who thought that this device might be some way / To make their souls, at the last busy day, / Meet at this grave, and make a little stay?"

• The speaker refers to the hair as a "device", a strategy to ensure that the lovers' souls will reunite at the grave on Judgement Day.
• The idea of meeting at the grave for "a little stay" emphasizes the enduring nature of their love, suggesting a desire to be together even in the afterlife.

Stanza 2

Lines 12-18

If this fall in a time, or land,

Where mis-devotion doth command,

Then he, that digs us up, will bring

Us to the bishop, and the king,

To make us relics; then

Thou shalt be a Mary Magdalen, and I

A something else thereby;

"If this fall in a time, or land, / Where mis-devotion doth command"

• The speaker imagines a scenario where religious practices have gone astray, and misguided devotion prevails.
• "Mis-devotion" suggests a time when people might mistakenly venerate objects or people, reflecting the speaker's criticism of false or superficial religious practices.

"Then he, that digs us up, will bring / Us to the bishop, and the king,"

• In such a misguided era, the person who digs up the speaker's grave might take the remains to religious and political authorities, such as a bishop or king.
• This reflects the historical practice of presenting supposed relics to religious leaders for validation and veneration.

"To make us relics; then / Thou shalt be a Mary Magdalen, and I / A something else thereby;"

• The speaker cynically imagines that they will be declared holy relics, with his lover compared to Mary Magdalen, a figure often associated with repentance and sanctity.
• The vagueness of "something else" for himself suggests the absurdity of such veneration, possibly hinting at the controversial idea of Mary Magdalen being linked romantically with Christ, which would elevate the speaker to a blasphemous level.

Lines 19-22

All women shall adore us, and some men;

And since at such time miracles are sought,

I would have that age by this paper taught

What miracles we harmless lovers wrought.

"All women shall adore us, and some men;"

• The speaker predicts that they will be venerated by women, and to a lesser extent, by men, reflecting the widespread fascination with relics and the cult of saints.
• This adoration, however, is presented with irony, as the speaker sees it as misguided.

"And since at such time miracles are sought, / I would have that age by this paper taught / What miracles we harmless lovers wrought."

• The speaker notes that in times of religious fervour, people seek miracles, and he intends to use this poem ("this paper") to teach future generations about the true miracles he and his lover performed.
• The "miracles" refer not to supernatural events but to the pure, innocent love they shared, emphasizing the spiritual depth of their relationship over any physical or worldly recognition.

Stanza 3

Lines 23-29

First, we lov'd well and faithfully,

Yet knew not what we lov'd, nor why;

Difference of sex no more we knew

Than our guardian angels do;

Coming and going, we

Perchance might kiss, but not between those meals;

Our hands ne'er touch'd the seals

"First, we lov'd well and faithfully, / Yet knew not what we lov'd, nor why;"

• The speaker reflects on the pure and faithful nature of their love, emphasizing that it was sincere and true.
• Despite this, they did not fully understand the nature of their love or the reasons behind it, highlighting the mysterious and profound aspects of their connection.

"Difference of sex no more we knew / Than our guardian angels do;"

• The speaker suggests that their love transcended physical differences, comparing their bond to that of "guardian angels" who are traditionally considered to be without gender.
• This line emphasizes the spiritual and platonic nature of their relationship, suggesting a love that is pure and untainted by physical desires.

"Coming and going, we / Perchance might kiss, but not between those meals;"

• The speaker describes their interactions as rare and fleeting, with the possibility of a kiss occurring only occasionally.
• The reference to "meals" may symbolize regular, mundane events, suggesting that their physical affection was not a central part of their relationship.

"Our hands ne'er touch'd the seals"

• The speaker indicates that their love did not involve breaking any "seals", which could symbolize physical boundaries or societal norms.
• This line reinforces the idea that their relationship was more spiritual and emotional than physical, remaining within the bounds of propriety.

Lines 30-33

Which nature, injur'd by late law, sets free;

These miracles we did, but now alas,

All measure, and all language, I should pass,

Should I tell what a miracle she was.

"Which nature, injur'd by late law, sets free;"

• The speaker reflects on how natural impulses or desires, previously constrained by societal "law", are eventually liberated.
• This could suggest a critique of social or religious constraints on natural love, implying that true love transcends such limitations.

"These miracles we did, but now alas, / All measure, and all language, I should pass,"

• The speaker acknowledges that their love was miraculous, achieving something rare and profound.
• However, he laments that words and conventional measures are inadequate to fully capture the depth and significance of their love.

"Should I tell what a miracle she was."

• The speaker concludes by expressing the impossibility of fully conveying his lover's extraordinary nature.
• This final line emphasizes the unique and almost divine qualities of his lover, suggesting that she was the greatest "miracle" of all.