The Relique
When my grave is broke up againeSome second ghest to entertaine,(For graves have learn'd that woman-headTo be to more then one a Bed)And he that digs it, spiesA bracelet of bright haire about the bone,Will he not let'us alone,And thinke that there a loving couple lies,Who thought that this device might be some wayTo make their soules, at the last busie day,Meet at this grave, and make a little stay?
If this fall in a time, or land,Where mis-devotion doth command,Then, he that digges us up, will bringUs, to the Bishop, and the King,To make us Reliques; thenThou shalt be a Mary Magdalen, and IA something else thereby;All women shall adore us, and some men;And since at such time, miracles are sought,I would have that age by this paper taughtWhat miracles wee harmelesse lovers wrought.
First, we lov'd well and faithfully,Yet knew not what wee lov'd, nor why,Difference of sex no more wee knew,Then our Guardian Angells doe;Comming and going, weePerchance might kisse, but not between those meales;Our hands ne'r toucht the seales,Which nature, injur'd by late law, sets free:These miracles wee did; but now alas,All measure, and all language, I would passe,Should I tell what a miracle shee was.
Difference of Sex we never knew,Difference of Sex we never knew,
Words in this poem
- broke v. i.
- To transact business for another. Brome. [See Broker, and cf. Brook.]
- shalt
- 2d per. sing. of Shall.
- magdalen n.
- A reformed prostitute. [From Mary Magdalene, traditionally reported to have been the repentant sinner forgiven by Christ. See Luke vii. 36.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- adore v. t.
- To worship with profound reverence; to pay divine honors to; to honor as deity or as divine. [OE. aouren, anouren, adoren, OF. aorer, adorer, F. adorer, fr. L. adorare; ad + orare to speak, pray, os, oris, mouth. In OE. confused with honor, the French pr]
- passe a.
- Past; gone by; hence, past one's prime; worn; faded; as, a passée belle. Ld. Lytton. [F.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Relique is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of John Donne, Volume 1 (of 2) Edited from the Old Editions and Numerous Manuscripts, Project Gutenberg ebook #48688; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: John Donne, The Relique, in Poems (1633), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #48688, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/donne-poems/the-relique.html, id L04904.
Form and metre
The Relique is 35 lines in 4 stanzas. The rhyme scheme is AABBCDDCEEE, complete in 2 of its 4 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 84%). 91% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.7 syllables. 1 line ends on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 26% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AABBCDDCEEE againeA · entertaineA · headB · bedB · spiesC · boneD · aloneD · liesC · wayE · dayE · stayE
- 2 AABBCDDCEEE landA · commandA · bringB · kingB · thenC · iD · therebyD · menC · soughtE · taughtE · wroughtE
- 3 -A--ABBA--- faithfully · whyA · knew · doe · weeA · mealesB · sealesB · freeA · alas · passe · was
- 4 AA knewA · knewA
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| When my grave is broke up againe | 8 | ········ |
| Some second ghest to entertaine, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| (For graves have learn'd that woman-head | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| To be to more then one a Bed) | 8 | ········ |
| And he that digs it, spies | 6 | ······ |
| A bracelet of bright haire about the bone, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Will he not let'us alone, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| And thinke that there a loving couple lies, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| Who thought that this device might be some way | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| To make their soules, at the last busie day, | 10 | ·········· |
| Meet at this grave, and make a little stay? | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| If this fall in a time, or land, | 8 | ········ |
| Where mis-devotion doth command, | 8 | ··˘/˘·˘/ |
| Then, he that digges us up, will bring | 8 | ········ |
| Us, to the Bishop, and the King, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To make us Reliques; then | 6 | ······ |
| Thou shalt be a Mary Magdalen, and I | 10 | ····/˘/˘·· |
| A something else thereby; | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| All women shall adore us, and some men; | 10 | ·/˘·˘/···· |
| And since at such time, miracles are sought, | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| I would have that age by this paper taught | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| What miracles wee harmelesse lovers wrought. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| First, we lov'd well and faithfully, | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| Yet knew not what wee lov'd, nor why, | 8 | ········ |
| Difference of sex no more wee knew, | 9 | /˘˘······ |
| Then our Guardian Angells doe; | 9 | ·/˘/˘˘/˘· |
| Comming and going, wee | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| Perchance might kisse, but not between those meales; | 10 | ˘/········ |
| Our hands ne'r toucht the seales, | 7 | /˘····· |
| Which nature, injur'd by late law, sets free: | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| These miracles wee did; but now alas, | 10 | ·/˘˘····˘/ |
| All measure, and all language, I would passe, | 11 | ·/˘··/˘···/ |
| Should I tell what a miracle shee was. | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| Difference of Sex we never knew, | 9 | /˘˘···/˘· |
| Difference of Sex we never knew, | 9 | /˘˘···/˘· |
Notes from the edition 9
Herbert Grierson's record of the readings of the early editions and manuscripts, from his Poems of John Donne (Oxford, 1912; Project Gutenberg #48688).
- Stanza 2, line 2 mis-devotion 1633-54, A18, A25, B, D, H49, JC, Lec, N, O'F, S, S96, TC: mass-devotion 1669, Chambers
- Stanza 2, line 4 and 1633-54 and MSS.: or 1669, Chambers
- Stanza 2, line 6 Thou shalt be] You shal be A25, D, H49, JC, Lec, S. See note
- Stanza 2, line 9 time] times JC, O'F
- Stanza 2, line 10 have that age] that age were A18, N, TC
- Stanza 3, line 4 doe; Ed: doe, 1633-69
- Stanza 3, line 5 wee Ed: wee, 1633-69
- Stanza 3, line 6 not] yet 1669
- Stanza 3, line 8 sets] set 1669 free: 1650-69: free, 1633-39
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