One from my personal archive of Leaving Cert and school poems that make for great wedding ceremony readings, today we bring you a classic: The Good Morrow by John Donne. It's an enduring memory - Donne was one of the metaphysical poets and The Good Morrow was the anchor of many an essay. Now looking at it through fresh eyes, it's clear that The Good Morrow is an exceptional ode to love. It discusses the evolution of love; moving from lust in the intial lines, through to deep and enduring commitment and passion. Those beautiful last lines are some of the greatest in English poetry:

If our two loves be one, or thou and I
Love so alike that none can slacken, none can die.

The Good-Morrow by John Donne

I wonder by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till we loved ? were we not weaned till then ?
But sucked on country pleasures, childishly ?
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers' den ?
'Twas so ; but this, all pleasures fancies be;
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desired, and got, 'twas but a dream of thee.

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,
Which watch not one another out of fear;
For love all love of other sights controls,
And makes one little room an everywhere.
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone;
Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown;
Let us possess one world ; each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,
And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;
Where can we find two better hemispheres
Without sharp north, without declining west ?
Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;
If our two loves be one, or thou and I
Love so alike that none can slacken, none can die.

Still looking? We've got over 100 more wedding ceremony readings for you

Feature image: Nicola Webster via One Fab Day