The Sun Rising by John Donne

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1 The Sun Rising

1.1 Stanza-wise Explanation

1.1.1 Stanza 1:

1.1.2 Stanza 2:

1.1.3 Stanza 3:

1.2 Critical Analysis of The Sun Rising

1.2.1 Theme:

1.2.2 Tone:

1.2.3 Structure and Form:

1.2.4 Imagery and Symbolism:

1.2.5 Literary Devices:

2 Conclusion:

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The Sun Rising

by John Donne

Busy old fool, unruly sun,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains call on us?
Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run?
Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide
Late schoolboys and sour prentices,
Go tell court huntsmen that the king will ride,
Call country ants to harvest offices;
Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,
Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.

Thy beams so reverend and strong
Why shouldst thou think?
I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink,
But that I would not lose her sight so long:
If her eyes have not blinded thine,
Look, and tomorrow late tell me,
Whether both th’ Indias of spice and mine
Be where thou left’st them, or lie here with me.
Ask for those kings whom thou saw’st yesterday,
And thou shalt hear: All here in one bed lay.

She’s all states, and all princes, I;
Nothing else is.
Princes do but play us; compared to this,
All honor’s mimic, all wealth alchemy.
Thou, sun, art half as happy as we,
In that the world’s contracted thus;
Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be
To warm the world, that’s done in warming us.
Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere;
This bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere.

Stanza-wise Explanation

Stanza 1:

The speaker opens with a bold and dismissive address to the sun, calling it a “busy old fool” and questioning its authority to disturb him and his lover. He mocks the sun’s routine, claiming it should concern itself with mundane tasks like waking schoolboys or laborers instead of intruding on their love. The stanza emphasizes that love transcends time and space, making the sun’s rules irrelevant.

Stanza 2:

Here, the speaker acknowledges the sun’s power but asserts his own superiority. He claims he could block the sun by simply closing his eyes, though he refrains because he doesn’t want to stop gazing at his lover. He then elevates their love, saying all the wealth and power of the world (the East and West Indies, and even kings) is concentrated in their shared bed, making their love the center of the universe.

Stanza 3:

In the final stanza, the speaker declares that his lover embodies all the richness and beauty of the world, while he represents its ruling authority. Together, they are the universe, rendering all other worldly honors and pursuits insignificant. He then magnanimously reassigns the sun’s purpose to shine exclusively on them, arguing that by warming their bed, the sun fulfills its cosmic duty, as their love is now the center of everything.

Critical Analysis of The Sun Rising

Theme:

The poem is a celebration of romantic love, portraying it as supreme and eternal, transcending the constraints of time, space, and worldly concerns.

Tone:

The tone is witty, defiant, and playful. The speaker shifts from chastising the sun to magnanimously granting it a role within their love’s supremacy.

Structure and Form:

The poem consists of three 10-line stanzas, following a regular rhyme scheme (ABBACDCDEE).
Donne’s use of metaphysical conceits (extended, intricate metaphors) ties grand concepts like the cosmos to the intimate space of a lover’s bed.

Imagery and Symbolism:

The Sun: Symbolizes time, routine, and the natural order, which the speaker seeks to subvert.
Indias of spice and mine: Represent the exotic riches of the world, which the speaker claims are embodied in their love.
The Bed and Room: Serve as a microcosm of the universe, symbolizing how love encompasses everything.

Literary Devices:

Apostrophe: Directly addressing the sun establishes a conversational and bold tone.
Hyperbole: Exaggerations such as claiming the world lies in their bed emphasize the intensity and universality of their love.
Conceit: The central conceit equates the lovers’ bed with the universe, illustrating the magnitude of their bond.
Irony: The speaker mocks the sun’s importance while ultimately redefining its purpose around their love.

Metaphysical Elements:
Donne’s poem exemplifies metaphysical poetry through its intellectual wit, bold imagery, and the merging of physical and spiritual love. It redefines traditional romantic expressions by intertwining the personal with the cosmic.

Conclusion:

The Sun Rising reflects Donne’s mastery of metaphysical poetry. By challenging conventional ideas of time and power, the speaker elevates romantic love as an all-encompassing force. The witty interplay between cosmic imagery and intimate emotions highlights love’s transformative and unifying power, leaving the reader captivated by the audacity and brilliance of Donne’s vision.

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