'Break Of Day' by John Donne

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'Tis true, 'tis day; what though it be?
O wilt thou therefore rise from me?
Why should we rise? because 'tis light?
Did we lie down, because 'twas night?
Love which in spite of darkness brought us hither,
Should in despite of light keep us together.

Light hath no tongue, but is all eye;
If it could speak as well as spy,
This were the worst, that it could say,
That being well, I fain would stay,
And that I lov'd my heart and honor so,
That I would not from him, that had them, go.

Must business thee from hence remove?
Oh, that's the worst disease of love,
The poor, the foul, the false, love can
Admit, but not the busied man.
He which hath business, and makes love, doth do
Such wrong, as when a married man doth woo.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Break of Day: A Literary Analysis

John Donne, a seventeenth-century metaphysical poet, wrote Break of Day, a poem about the end of a night's love affair. The speaker, who is unnamed, expresses his desire to stay with his lover, but he knows that he must leave before the break of day. The poem is filled with metaphors, and the speaker's use of language is evocative and sensual. The poem's themes include love, time, and mortality. This literary analysis will examine the various literary elements in Break of Day and their effects on the poem's overall meaning.

Form

Break of Day is a poem comprised of twenty-one lines, organized into three stanzas. The poem's structure is iambic pentameter, which means that each line consists of ten syllables with alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. The poem's rhyme scheme is ABACDCDEFEFGHGHIH. The rhyme scheme is irregular, which signifies the instability of the speaker's emotions. The poem's form is also significant because it is a sestina, a form that uses the same six words at the end of each line of the six stanzas, but in a different order. Donne, however, only uses three of these six words in his use of the sestina form. Donne's use of this form allows him to explore the various aspects of love and time in different ways, and the repetition of words also adds to the poem's overall meaning.

Themes

Break of Day is a poem that explores the themes of love, time, and mortality. The speaker is in love with his lover, but he knows that their time together is limited. The theme of time is evident in the poem's title, which refers to the moment when night turns into day. The speaker is also aware of his own mortality and the transience of life. The poem is a meditation on the fleeting nature of love and life, and the speaker's desire to hold onto the moment before it passes.

Imagery

Donne's use of imagery in Break of Day is evocative and sensual. The speaker uses metaphors to describe his lover's body, comparing it to a garden, a temple, and a universe. The poem's metaphors are also connected to the theme of time, as the speaker compares his lover's body to things that are both ephemeral and enduring. For example, the garden metaphor suggests the transience of life, as flowers bloom and die, while the temple metaphor suggests the enduring nature of love, which is eternal.

Language

Donne's use of language in Break of Day is rich and layered. The poem is filled with metaphors, similes, and other literary devices that create a rich and complex meaning. The speaker's use of language is also sensual, as he describes his lover's body in vivid detail. For example, he describes her eyes as "two walking baths," and her breasts as "blessed twins."

Tone

The tone of Break of Day is melancholic and wistful. The speaker is aware that his time with his lover is limited, and he is filled with a sense of longing and regret. The poem's tone is also sensual, as the speaker describes his lover's body in detail. The speaker's tone is also introspective, as he meditates on the fleeting nature of love and life.

Interpretation

The poem's use of the sestina form is significant, as it allows Donne to explore the various aspects of love and time in different ways. The repetition of words also adds to the poem's overall meaning, as it suggests the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of change.

Donne's use of imagery in Break of Day is evocative and sensual. The poem's metaphors are connected to the theme of time, as the speaker compares his lover's body to things that are both ephemeral and enduring. The garden metaphor suggests the transience of life, while the temple metaphor suggests the enduring nature of love. The speaker's use of language is also sensual, as he describes his lover's body in vivid detail.

The tone of Break of Day is melancholic and wistful. The speaker is aware that his time with his lover is limited, and he is filled with a sense of longing and regret. The poem's tone is also introspective, as the speaker meditates on the fleeting nature of love and life.

Overall, Break of Day is a poem that explores the complexities of love, time, and mortality. The poem's use of form, imagery, language, and tone all contribute to its overall meaning. Donne's poetic skill is evident in his ability to create a rich and layered poem that captures the complexities of human emotion.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Break of Day: A Poem of Love and Renewal

John Donne’s poem “Break of Day” is a beautiful and complex work that explores the themes of love, renewal, and the passage of time. Written in the early 17th century, the poem is a meditation on the joys and sorrows of love, and the ways in which love can transform us and bring us closer to the divine. In this analysis, we will explore the meaning and significance of “Break of Day,” and examine how Donne uses language and imagery to convey his message.

The poem begins with the speaker addressing his lover, who is lying beside him in bed. He describes the scene around them, noting the “dull, sublunar lovers’ love” that is fading away as the night comes to an end. The speaker then turns his attention to his own feelings, describing the “new joys” that he has discovered in his lover’s embrace. He speaks of the “sweetness” and “pleasure” that he has found in their love, and declares that he is “new born” as a result.

Throughout the poem, Donne uses a variety of metaphors and images to convey the transformative power of love. He compares his lover to the sun, describing her as a “bright star” that has “dispersed the night” and brought him into a new day. He also uses the image of the phoenix, a mythical bird that is said to rise from the ashes of its own destruction, to describe the renewal that he has experienced in his love. He speaks of his “ashes” being “newly spread” by his lover’s touch, and declares that he has been “reborn” as a result.

One of the most striking aspects of “Break of Day” is the way in which Donne uses language to convey his message. The poem is full of rich, sensual imagery, and the language is often highly metaphorical and symbolic. For example, when the speaker describes his lover’s touch, he uses the image of a “thousand liveries” to convey the many different sensations that he feels. Similarly, when he speaks of the “sweetness” of their love, he uses the image of a “sugar’d sin” to convey the pleasure and temptation that he experiences.

Another important aspect of the poem is the way in which Donne explores the relationship between love and time. Throughout the poem, he emphasizes the fleeting nature of love, and the way in which it can be lost or forgotten over time. He speaks of the “dull, sublunar lovers’ love” that fades away as the night comes to an end, and notes that “all the pleasures of all the paths” will eventually be forgotten. However, he also suggests that love has the power to transcend time, and that it can bring us closer to the divine. He speaks of his lover as a “bright star” that has “dispersed the night,” and suggests that their love has the power to bring him into a new day.

In conclusion, “Break of Day” is a beautiful and complex poem that explores the themes of love, renewal, and the passage of time. Through his use of rich, sensual imagery and highly metaphorical language, Donne conveys the transformative power of love, and the way in which it can bring us closer to the divine. He also explores the fleeting nature of love, and the way in which it can be lost or forgotten over time. Ultimately, however, he suggests that love has the power to transcend time, and that it can bring us into a new day of joy and renewal.

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