'Sun Rising, The' by John Donne
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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 the'Indias of spice and mine
Be where thou leftst 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'is all states, and all princes I,
Nothing else is.
Princes do but play us; compar'd to this,
All honour'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 centre is, these walls, thy sphere.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Sun Rising: A Masterpiece of Metaphysical Poetry
John Donne's "The Sun Rising" is a magnificent example of metaphysical poetry that has captured the imagination of readers for centuries. This masterpiece of the 17th century is a complex and intricate work that explores the relationship between love and time, the power of the sun, and the nature of reality itself. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve into the deeper layers of this powerful poem and uncover the hidden meanings and metaphors that lie within.
Structure and Form
The first thing that strikes the reader about "The Sun Rising" is its unique structure and form. The poem consists of three stanzas of nine lines each, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCCDDD. This structure is notable for its regularity and symmetry, and it serves to highlight the precision and orderliness of the speaker's thoughts. The poem is also characterized by its use of enjambment, which allows the lines to flow seamlessly into one another and creates a sense of uninterrupted movement and energy.
Themes and Motifs
At its core, "The Sun Rising" is a poem about love and the power of the human soul to transcend the limitations of time and space. The speaker addresses the sun, which he sees as a symbol of the passing of time and the transience of human life, and declares that his love is more powerful than any force in the universe. The poem is also concerned with the nature of reality and the relationship between the physical world and the world of the mind. The speaker asserts that his love and his soul are the only true reality, and that everything else is an illusion.
Throughout the poem, Donne employs a number of motifs and images to convey these themes. The most prominent of these is the image of the sun, which is depicted as a powerful and dominant force that has the ability to control time and space. The speaker challenges the sun's authority and declares that his love is more powerful than anything the sun can do. Another important motif is the image of the lovers lying in bed, which represents the intimacy and closeness that the speaker feels with his beloved. This image is contrasted with the image of the rest of the world, which is depicted as chaotic and meaningless.
Language and Style
Donne's language and style in "The Sun Rising" are characterized by their richness, complexity, and wit. The poem is filled with clever wordplay, intricate metaphors, and elaborate conceits that require careful analysis to fully appreciate. For example, in the opening lines of the poem, the speaker addresses the sun as "busy old fool, unruly sun," using an oxymoron to convey the sun's apparent contradiction of being both busy and unruly. He goes on to say that he has no need for the sun's light, as he has "all that riches that the east doth hold," referring to his beloved's eyes.
Throughout the poem, Donne uses a variety of metaphors and conceits to convey the speaker's thoughts and feelings. For example, he compares the lovers' bed to a "little world made cunningly," using the image of a miniature world to emphasize the intimacy and closeness of the lovers. He also uses the metaphor of a map to describe the lovers' bodies, saying that they are "two vast and trunkless legs of stone," and that they contain "all geography's true maps." These metaphors and conceits not only add richness and depth to the poem, but they also serve to reinforce its central themes and motifs.
Interpretation
At its core, "The Sun Rising" is a meditation on the nature of love and the human soul. The speaker asserts that his love is more powerful than any force in the universe, including the passing of time and the rising of the sun. He declares that his soul and his beloved's soul are the only true reality, and that everything else is an illusion. This assertion of the power of the human soul to transcend the physical world is a central theme of metaphysical poetry, and it is one that Donne explores in depth in many of his other works.
The poem also contains a critique of the conventional wisdom of Donne's time, which held that the sun was the center of the universe and that human beings were insignificant in the face of its power. The speaker challenges this view, asserting that his love is more powerful than the sun and that he has no need for its light. This critique of conventional wisdom is another hallmark of metaphysical poetry, which often challenged the prevailing beliefs and conventions of its time.
Finally, "The Sun Rising" can be seen as a celebration of the power of the human imagination to create its own reality. The speaker asserts that his love and his soul are the only true reality, and that everything else is an illusion. This assertion is a powerful statement of the power of the human mind to create its own world, and it is one that resonates with many of the central themes of metaphysical poetry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, John Donne's "The Sun Rising" is a masterpiece of metaphysical poetry that explores the themes of love, time, and the nature of reality with richness, complexity, and wit. Its unique structure and form, its rich language and style, and its powerful themes and motifs have made it one of the most enduring and beloved poems of the English language. Its message of the power of the human soul to transcend the limitations of time and space, and its celebration of the power of the human imagination to create its own reality, continue to inspire and captivate readers to this day.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
John Donne's "The Sun Rising" is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. It is a beautiful and complex piece of literature that explores the relationship between the sun and the speaker. The poem is written in a dramatic monologue style, with the speaker addressing the sun directly. In this analysis, we will delve into the various themes and literary devices used in the poem and explore the deeper meaning behind Donne's words.
The poem begins with the speaker addressing the sun, telling it to go away and not disturb him and his lover. The speaker is annoyed that the sun is interrupting their moment of intimacy and tells it to go bother other people. The sun is personified as a busybody who is always interfering in people's lives. The speaker tells the sun that it is not as important as it thinks it is and that it should not be so arrogant.
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker is angry and frustrated with the sun for interrupting his moment with his lover. He tells the sun that it is not as important as it thinks it is and that it should not be so arrogant. The speaker's tone is sarcastic and dismissive, as he belittles the sun's importance.
In the second stanza, the speaker continues to address the sun, telling it that it is not as powerful as it thinks it is. He says that the sun is just a "saucy pedantic wretch" who thinks it can control everything. The speaker is mocking the sun's arrogance and belittling its power. He tells the sun that it cannot control him or his lover and that it should not try to interfere in their lives.
The third stanza is where the poem takes a turn. The speaker begins to realize that he and his lover are not as important as they think they are. He says that they are just "two vast and trunkless legs of stone" and that they will eventually crumble and decay. The speaker is acknowledging the fleeting nature of life and the fact that everything is temporary. He realizes that his moment with his lover is just a small blip in the grand scheme of things.
In the fourth stanza, the speaker begins to shift his focus from himself and his lover to the rest of the world. He says that the sun should not be so arrogant because it is just a small part of the universe. He tells the sun that it is not as important as it thinks it is and that there are other things in the world that are more important. The speaker is acknowledging the fact that there are bigger things in the world than his own personal problems.
The fifth and final stanza is where the poem reaches its climax. The speaker tells the sun that he does not need it because he has everything he needs in his lover's eyes. He says that his lover's eyes are the only sun he needs and that they are more powerful than the real sun. The speaker is declaring his love for his lover and saying that nothing else in the world matters as long as he has her.
The poem is full of literary devices that add depth and complexity to the text. One of the most prominent devices is personification. The sun is personified as a busybody who is always interfering in people's lives. The speaker is mocking the sun's arrogance and belittling its power. He tells the sun that it cannot control him or his lover and that it should not try to interfere in their lives.
Another device used in the poem is metaphor. The speaker compares himself and his lover to "two vast and trunkless legs of stone." This metaphor emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and the fact that everything is temporary. The speaker realizes that his moment with his lover is just a small blip in the grand scheme of things.
The poem is also full of imagery. The speaker describes his lover's eyes as the only sun he needs. This imagery emphasizes the power of love and the fact that it can be more powerful than anything else in the world. The speaker is declaring his love for his lover and saying that nothing else in the world matters as long as he has her.
In conclusion, John Donne's "The Sun Rising" is a beautiful and complex poem that explores the relationship between the sun and the speaker. The poem is full of literary devices that add depth and complexity to the text. The speaker is angry and frustrated with the sun for interrupting his moment with his lover, but he eventually realizes that his moment with his lover is just a small blip in the grand scheme of things. The poem emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and the power of love. It is a timeless piece of literature that will continue to be studied and appreciated for generations to come.
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