The Anniversary

Context

• The Anniversary by John Donne was written during the early 17th century, likely reflecting the poet's own experiences with love and the passing of time.
• The poem is part of Donne's body of metaphysical poetry, where he often intertwines personal emotions with intellectual and philosophical concepts.
• It celebrates the enduring nature of true love, suggesting that while everything else in the world is subject to decay, love remains eternal and unchanging.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• The poem consists of three stanzas, each containing ten lines.
• The rhyme scheme follows ABABCCCCDD, creating a sense of closure and emphasis, particularly in the concluding couplets of each stanza.
• The meter is primarily iambic pentameter, which provides a steady, rhythmic flow, mirroring the poem's meditative tone as it reflects on love and eternity.

Speaker and Setting

• The speaker in the poem is a lover, possibly reflecting Donne himself, who is addressing his beloved on the occasion of their anniversary.
• The setting is abstract and timeless, focusing on the metaphysical contemplation of love rather than a specific physical location. The speaker reflects on the enduring nature of their love in contrast to the transient nature of the world around them.

Poetic Devices

Conceit:

• Donne uses the extended metaphor of a royal court to elevate the relationship between the lovers, comparing their love to the power and stability of a kingdom.
• The speaker states, "All other things to their destruction draw, / Only our love hath no decay;" emphasizing that their love transcends the decay that affects everything else.

Hyperbole:

• The poem employs hyperbole to emphasize the eternal nature of the lovers' bond, suggesting that their love will outlast even time itself.
• The speaker claims, "Running it never runs from us away," highlighting the boundless and infinite quality of their love.

Allusion:

• The poem contains allusions to the passage of time and the inevitable decay of all things, contrasting these with the constancy of true love.
• The speaker reflects, "Two graves must hide thine and my corse; / If one might, death were no divorce," alluding to the idea that not even death can separate their souls.

Paradox:

• Donne uses paradox to explore the complexities of love, suggesting that while their bodies will die, their love will continue to grow and strengthen.
• The speaker asserts, "But souls where nothing dwells but love / (All other thoughts being inmates) then shall prove / This, or a love increased there above," indicating that their love will not only survive death but will thrive in eternity.

Key Themes

The Eternal Nature of True Love

• The poem emphasizes that true love is eternal, outlasting the physical bodies of the lovers and the passage of time.
• The speaker declares, "Only our love hath no decay;" highlighting the timeless and unchanging nature of their love.

The Union of Souls

• The poem explores the idea that true love unites the souls of the lovers, creating a bond that is unbreakable even by death.
• The speaker concludes, "Two graves must hide thine and my corse; / If one might, death were no divorce," underscoring the spiritual unity that transcends physical separation.

The Transience of Life vs. the Permanence of Love

• Donne contrasts the fleeting nature of life and worldly possessions with the enduring power of love, suggesting that love is the only thing that does not succumb to decay.
• He reflects, "All other things to their destruction draw," illustrating how everything in the world is temporary, except for their love.

Similar Poems

• "The Canonization": This poem also explores the theme of eternal love, suggesting that the love between the speaker and his beloved is so powerful that it elevates them to the status of saints.
• "The Good Morrow": This poem shares the theme of love as a transformative and eternal force, uniting the lovers in a perfect, unchanging bond.
• "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning": Like The Anniversary, this poem emphasizes the strength of a spiritual connection between lovers that remains unshaken by physical separation.

Line by Line Analysis

Stanza 1

Lines 1-5

All Kings, and all their favourites,

All glory of honours, beauties, wits,

The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass,

Is elder by a year now than it was

When thou and I first one another saw:

"All Kings, and all their favourites, / All glory of honours, beauties, wits,"

• The speaker reflects on the transient nature of worldly power and beauty, noting that even kings, their favourites, and all forms of glory—whether in honour, beauty, or wit—are subject to time's decay.

"The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass,"

• The sun, a symbol of time's passage, highlights the relentless movement of time.

"Is elder by a year now than it was / When thou and I first one another saw:"

• The sun is a year older since the lovers first met, emphasizing the contrast between the passage of time and their enduring love.

Lines 6-10

All other things to their destruction draw,

Only our love hath no decay;

This no tomorrow hath, nor yesterday,

Running it never runs from us away,

But truly keeps his first, last, everlasting day.

"All other things to their destruction draw,"

• The speaker contrasts the inevitability of decay in all things with the enduring nature of their love.

"Only our love hath no decay;"

• Their love is depicted as timeless and unchanging, immune to the effects of time.

"This no tomorrow hath, nor yesterday, / Running it never runs from us away,"

• Their love exists outside the bounds of time, with no past or future, remaining constant and ever-present.

"But truly keeps his first, last, everlasting day."

• The repetition of "day" reinforces the idea of their love as an unending moment of perfection.

Stanza 2

Lines 11-15

Two graves must hide thine and my corse;

If one might, death were no divorce.

Alas, as well as other Princes, we

(Who Prince enough in one another be)

Must leave at last in death these eyes and ears,

"Two graves must hide thine and my corse;"

• The speaker acknowledges the inevitability of death, which will separate their physical bodies.

"If one might, death were no divorce."

• The line suggests a desire for their connection to persist beyond death, as death is seen as the only force that can separate them.

"Alas, as well as other Princes, we"

• The speaker compares their relationship to that of other rulers, noting the shared fate of all humanity in death.

"(Who Prince enough in one another be) / Must leave at last in death these eyes and ears,"

• They must eventually part with their physical senses, even though they find princely fulfilment in each other.

Lines 16-20

Oft fed with true oaths, and with sweet salt tears;

But souls where nothing dwells but love

(All other thoughts being inmates) then shall prove

This, or a love increasèd there above,

When bodies to their graves, souls from their graves remove.

"Oft fed with true oaths, and with sweet salt tears;"

• The speaker recalls the promises and emotional expressions that have nurtured their love.

"But souls where nothing dwells but love"

• He suggests that their souls are pure, containing nothing but love.

"(All other thoughts being inmates) then shall prove / This, or a love increasèd there above,"

• Their love will either be proven true or increase in the afterlife, where it will be free from the constraints of the physical world.

"When bodies to their graves, souls from their graves remove."

• The speaker envisions a time when their bodies are buried, but their souls rise, suggesting a belief in an eternal, spiritual love beyond death.

Stanza 3

Lines 21-25

And then we shall be throughly blessed;

But we no more than all the rest.

Here upon earth we're Kings, and none but we

Can be such Kings, nor of such subjects be;

Who is so safe as we? where none can do

"And then we shall be throughly blessed; / But we no more than all the rest."

• The speaker envisions a future state where they will be "throughly blessed", suggesting complete and perfect happiness.
• Despite this blessing, he acknowledges that they will be "no more than all the rest," indicating a sense of equality with others, even in bliss.
• This line reflects a theme of universality, where ultimate happiness or blessing is not exclusive but shared.

"Here upon earth we're Kings, and none but we / Can be such Kings, nor of such subjects be;"

• The speaker asserts that they are like kings on earth, signifying the unique and elevated status of their love.
• He emphasises that no one else can be "such Kings," suggesting the exclusivity and superiority of their bond.
• The idea of "subjects" metaphorically refers to their experiences and emotions, over which they have complete dominion.

"Who is so safe as we? where none can do"

• The speaker questions who could be as secure as they are, highlighting the protection and stability provided by their love.
• The rhetorical question underscores the theme of security within their relationship, contrasting with the instability of worldly power.

Lines 26-30

Treason to us, except one of us two.

True and false fears let us refrain,

Let us love nobly, and live, and add again

Years and years unto years, till we attain

To write threescore: this is the second of our reign.

"Treason to us, except one of us two."

• The speaker reflects on the idea that their relationship is so strong that only they could betray it, not any external force.
• This line introduces the theme of mutual trust, where the only potential threat to their love comes from within.

"True and false fears let us refrain,"

• He urges them to avoid both real and imagined fears, advocating for a relationship free from anxiety and doubt.
• This line suggests that fears, whether grounded in reality or not, can undermine their love if allowed to take hold.

"Let us love nobly, and live, and add again / Years and years unto years, till we attain"

• The speaker encourages them to "love nobly", implying that their love should be dignified, honourable, and virtuous.
• He expresses a desire for their love to endure, accumulating years upon years, indicating a long-lasting, enduring bond.

"To write threescore: this is the second of our reign."

• The speaker sets a goal of reaching sixty years together ("threescore"), suggesting the longevity of their relationship.
• He notes that they are in the "second" year of their reign, comparing their love to a monarchy, where their rule is just beginning and destined to last.
• The use of "reign" reinforces the theme of kingship and sovereignty in their relationship, where they are the rulers of their world.