the sun rising by john Donne

Introduction

John done the shining star of 17th century shares a variety of love lyric in the field of poetry. the
poem the sun rising is the most romantic poem of john done which moves on the theme of love is
constant and universal and the importance of sun in human life. This poem gives the massage of
physical love, which gives anti Petrarchan touch to the poem. The language is obviously dramatic
and exaggerated. The poet uses such diction which adds the mean to the poem. Rhyme
scheme is ABBACDCDEE. The poet opens this poem abruptly. The poem is subjectively objective
and the poet seems optimistic.

Summary

The speaker personifies the sun, and is speaking to it throughout the poem. As the
sunlight comes through the windows, the speaker tells the sun to leave him and his lover
alone. He seems to feel that their life together is complete, and that the sun is being a
nuisance. He then tells the sun that his lover is worth more than anything the sun can
ever find outside their bedroom. He advises the Sun to go and do his routine and dull jobs
like chiding late-schoolboys and apprentices, waking up court-huntsmen and peasants. The
poet says his lover can eclipse and can the beams of the Sun with a wink. He does not do so
because he does not wish to “loose her right so long.” Finally, he says that the riches of East
India—renowned for their spice— and those of West Indies—renowned for their gold—are not
comparable to his lover’s beauty. The poet says my beloved is as precious as all the states of the
world put together. I possess her, so I am equal to the entire king. Kings only play our role. He says
that sun is half as lucky as we are, because for us the whole world has constructed into this bed
room. He says to sun that he is old; who need easy job.so the poet invites the sun to shine on them.
If it shine on them, it will shine on the whole word because they are completed world in each other.

Themes

Love is constant:

The poet brings love and the sun together. He states that genuine love is like the sun, is unaffected
by seasons or climate, and that ‘hours, days, months’ which are ‘the rags of time’ have no effect on
love.

Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,

Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.

Love is Universal:

The poet gives the theme love is universal when ‘’She is all states,” the poet declares, “and all
princes/Nothing else is.” The poet states that love exists in every nation and is desired by all. The
poet says my beloved is as precious as all the states of the world put together. I possess her, so I am
equal to the entire king. Kings only play our role

The Sun is Life:

The poet gives the theme that sun is important for human being .Despite portraying the sun as a
sorry, pedantic nonentity, he also acknowledges the sun’s life giving qualities. ‘…thou art
everywhere,” he retorts, “…thy duties be/ to warm the world.” Indeed, this ancient body whose “age
asks ease” has the ability to give warmth and life to the world.

Language

The language is obviously dramatic and exaggerated, direct and conversational; the
exaggeration of language mimics the assurance of love"
"Every insult to the Sun is a compliment to his mistress. Many words occur quite
unexpectedly. Sawcy pedantique wretch' is an oxymoron:

Tone

The tone appears harsh, scornful, and contemptuous. The poem begins with a
comic, argumentative tone, but quickly switches into pride in his lover, and finally into a
very romantic tone

Diction

The poet uses such diction which adds the meaning to the poem .The diction here covers all
social classes, from the court to ‘countrey ants', which may literally be ants or may just refer to the
busy labourers at harvest-time.

Rhyme scheme

The poem also follows a regular rhyme scheme in each verse, but it is an unusual
structure: ABBACDCDEE. Each of the three stanzas follows the same pattern of beats
and rhymes

Opening

The poet opens this poem abruptly. He scolds the sun and opens his poem dramatically without
wasting words on introduction.

BUSY old fool, unruly Sun,

Why dost thou thus,

Through windows, and through curtains, call on us ?

Anti-Petrarchan

Petrarchan believe in spiritual love but in this poem we clearly observe the poet seems to believe in
physical love when he scold the sun for disturbing him, which is interrupting his lie-in with his love

BUSY old fool, unruly Sun,

 Why dost thou thus,

Through windows, and through curtains, call on us ?a

Conceits

The poet uses conceits to enrich his poem. In Sun Rising, Donne uses conceits to show the
strength of the two lovers. He gives conceit by comparing beloved with every country,
everywhere. Where the Prince, who symbolise the lover, has completely control of his
country, and the country submits to him.
Prince’s doe but play us...All wealth alchimie - Everything is false, apart from Donne and
his lover

The poet gives second conceit by comparing the qualities of his beloved with the India's
of Spice and gold of west, in Donne's day, the source of the world's most precious
materials: spices, metals, and jewels

Whether both th' Indias of spice and mine

The poet presents his third conceit that Donne and his lover, and the room they are in,
expand to become the whole world –if sun shine on them it shin on whole world

Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere;

This bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere.

Title

The title the sun rising has symbolic significance. The sunrise has provoked the
speaker to speak. The sun is symbolic of an intruder.

Paradox

John Donne brings up three notable paradoxes. The first one is “old fool,” which is
strange because aged people are usually considered wise. Another paradox is “Unruly
sun” which is a paradox because the sun is one of the most predictable objects in a
person’s life. The last paradox Donne brings up is “If her eyes have not blinded thin,”
which does not make sense because eye’s see, and cannot blind other eyes.

Subjectively objective

Apparently the poem seem to us highly subjective because the poet seem to share his
personal feeling on love making but all those people who are in the same situation feel
the same , that’s why this poem is subjectively objective

Optimism

Throughout the poem the poet is angry with sun but at the end of the poem he gives the
massage of optimism to sun and offers him to shine on them in this way he will shin on
the whole world
Conclude

The poem is remarkable for its boldness of thought and originality of execution. The way in which the
sun is made to appear as an unwelcome guest and the way in which he is finally allowed to stay in the
bedroom of the lovers, are the most striking examples of Donne’s poetic inventiveness and ingenuity

Sheeren shahid