Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE ANNIVERSARY [ANNIVERSARIE], by JOHN DONNE Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: All kings, and all their favourites Last Line: To write threescore, this is the second of our reign. Subject(s): Love - Marital; Wedded Love; Marriage - Love | ||||||||
All kings, and all their favorites, All glory of honor, 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 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. 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, 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 increased there above, When bodies to their graves, souls from their graves remove. And then we shall be thoroughly blessed, But we no more, than all the rest. Here upon earth, we are kings, and none but we Can be such kings, nor such subjects be; Who is so safe as we? where none can do 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. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO MY WIFE by GEORGE WASHINGTON BETHUNE VARIATION ON THE WORD SLEEP by MARGARET ATWOOD IN THE MONTH OF MAY by ROBERT BLY A HYMN TO CHRIST, AT THE AUTHOR'S LAST GOING INTO GERMANY by JOHN DONNE |
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