Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint (Sonnet 23) Religion Quotes Page 2

In her "person," the speaker is able to perceive his wife's virtues, rather than her physical features. The seamlessness between his wife's body and soul suggests a Christian idea of heaven as a place in which physical barriers are removed. By contrast, the veil before his wife's face may symbolize the speaker's earthly, un-saved state, which prevents him from totally achieving Heavenly vision.