Summary

The speaker begins by establishing that his love began out of an apparently impossible situation. He notes that he should have had no hope that this love would be possible because of other forces at work in the universe. He argues that fate sets itself against love, jealous of its perfection, and afraid that love is so powerful it might threaten fate's ability to govern the world. Fate has therefore separated the two lovers. The earth would have to be torn apart for them to meet again. Thus, the lovers live truly parallel lives, unable ever to meet, and yet still connected. Their minds are one, even though their destinies are separate.

Analysis

This poem is an example of a metaphysical lyric, meaning that it considers subjects beyond the literal and speaks to broad truths about the universe. The poem does possess a simple...