John Donne’s “The Relic” like his “The Funeral,” has the lock of hair as the starting point :

Whoever comes to shroud me, do not harm
Nor question much
That subtle wreath of hair, which crowns my arm.

The first stanza though it talks about mortal human beings, reflects immortal love in the same tone. The speaker refers to the exhumation of his and his lover’s grave. The exhumer notes a “bracelet of bright hair” on the poet that appears to belong to his lady-love. Therefore, it renders into an emblematic relic of something that unites the two lovers. The piece of hair is a dead tissue by itself, though it talks of undying love. Grierson asserts that the poem is addressed to Mrs.Magdalen Herbert.

In the next stanza, Mary Magdalen is mentioned by name. This may be affirmed by the fact that Renaissance painters depicted Mary Magdalen with Golden hair. She lies beside the persona in the grave. The persona goes on to state that the gravedigger should respect their privacy and let them be. The notion of death and the passage of time are emphasized through the reiteration of words like ‘bone’, ’grave’.etc. The grave-digger at a distant time in the future may discern that this momento of love-the lock of hair-will reunite them during moments of resurrection.…