Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ANNIVERSARY [ANNIVERSARIE], by JOHN DONNE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ANNIVERSARY [ANNIVERSARIE], by             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.




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