"The Idea of the Virgin Mary in Donne's First Anniversary

Abstract

<p>This thesis puts forward a new interpretation of The First Anniversary. It suggests that "Shee" in the poem is the Virgin Mary, seen through the eyes of a convert from the Reiman Catholic Church. Other critical interpretations are examined. The historical and biographical background to the new interpretation are shown and finally the poem is examined closely to show the validity of this interpretation.</p>