The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Donne, John. "The Relic." John Donne's Poetry. W&W Norton, 2007.

Note that all parenthetical citations refer to the line number in which the quotation appears.

"The Relic" by John Donne is a poem about love, religion, and sexuality. One of the most famous metaphysical poets of the early modern period, Donne's poetry frequently takes up complex and highly intellectual subject matter through the use of extended metaphor. "The Relic," while maintaining some of the aspects of metaphysical poetry for which Donne is best known, departs slightly from this tradition and works primarily as a love poem through which the speaker can criticize certain religious ideology. It is important to note that Donne is frequently considered to have had a divided career – his early work, which he likely completed during his time as a law student, focuses on eroticism and sexuality. His later work, after he was ordained as Dean of St. Paul's cathedral, is typically interested in death and the individual's relationship with God.

But, even in his early career when he likely wrote "The Relic," Donne was still noticeably fixated on death, the afterlife, and things left behind. Thus, "The Relic" enjoys some of the same thematic concerns of the older Donne while at the same time maintaining the cheeky and flirtatious tones of the young law student. While not one of Donne's most famous poems, "The Relic" is an example of Donne's dedication to exploring the relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds. It also subtly features some of Donne's political activism as the speaker thinks through the ways that religion and governance will manifest long after his own death.

"The Relic" opens with the speaker imagining that, at some point in the future, his grave will be repurposed for another body. Whomever digs up his skeleton will notice that there is a ring of hair around his wrist and assume that this was a means of keeping two lovers together in the afterlife. The speaker imagines that the grave digger will bring the bones of him and his beloved to the bishop and the king where they will be declared relics. The speaker sets out to explain what their relationship is like on earth, noting that they exchange quick kisses but nothing more. The poem ends somewhat abruptly as the speaker thinks about his beloved and describes her as a "miracle" (33).