Rukhaya M.K

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. Even at that hour, when souls are scattered without worldly relationships, the relic will act as their bond. The souls of the speaker and his beloved may meet again for a “little stay.”

The second stanza is about elevating themselves to a paradigm that others may worship. He and his love followed love primarily, and not God; this explains the ‘mis-devotion.’ In the “Second Annuversary,”  Donne’s prayers exemplify impiety as they are addressed to Saints, and not to God. However, like the poet argues in “The Canonization,” he seems to imply that through their worldly love, they will attain the divine stature of heavenly saints. Therefore, she may become a Mary Magdalen, the Saint, that may in turn render the speaker into “a something else thereby,” probably Christ or one of her lovers. Their bodies would serve the function of holy relics, as they would be brought to “a bishop or a king.” They would then be a source of miracle and adoration for everybody. The poet claims how his poem (paper) would serve to illustrate how their harmless love gave way to miracles, just by virtue of its innocence.

The poet says that there was no reason for their love, it was natural. There was no difference of sex, implying gender. Here, the poet may refer to the spirituality of their union, or neutrality of the same. Furthermore, he may allude to the fact that religion, guardian angels and God is beyond the concept of gender. They did not put on a display of their love “between meals” which may connote, Jesus and Jesus’ disciples having supper that may further foreground the emblem of Jesus. “Our hands ne’er touched the seals, which nature, injured by late law, sets free” exemplifies that love should not be bound by rules and constraints. The poet points to the original Free State of created nature when they were no restrictions or impositions on love: “Man on many multiplied his kind:” (Dryden’s “Absalom and Achitophel”). Together they accomplished miracles; but the biggest miracle to happen to him was ‘she.’

© Rukhaya MK 2011

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