The Sun Rising
by John Donne
Busy old fool, unruly Sun,
Why dost thou so early rise?
All you are and all the world, I know.
The sun that rises to bring light to me?
I have no need of your shining rays;
I would have them, if I could, for a few hours,
I would have them and be content, but I cannot;
I would have them but the love I have is not to be seen.
I would have them if I could see them in your eye.
I would have them in your eye if I could, but I cannot.
If you could see the love I have for you, you would see it in your eyes.
Summary of The Sun Rising
- Popularity of “The Sun Rising”: John Donne, a master of metaphysical poetry, first published “The Sun Rising” in 1633 in his collection Poems and Meditations. The poem is known for its witty reproach of the sun for disturbing the lovers’ private world.
- “The Sun Rising” As a Representative of Love: The poem celebrates a passionate love that is self sufficient and all encompassing. The speaker, lying with his beloved, scolds the sun for its intrusion, claiming he could eclipse the sun if he wished, but he prefers to keep looking at his lover. He elevates his beloved to the status of all kingdoms and the entire world, thereby diminishing the importance of everything outside their shared space.
- Major Themes in “The Sun Rising”: The authority of love, the power of intimacy, and the redefinition of the world are central to the poem. The speaker challenges the established order, asserting that his love transcends the constraints of time, space, and worldly power. He imagines the universe reduced to the confines of the bedroom, where their love reigns supreme. The poem is not simply about love, but a declaration of its absolute sovereignty.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “The Sun Rising”
John Donne masterfully employs a range of literary devices to create a poem that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. These devices enrich the texture of the poem, adding layers of meaning and enhancing the reader’s experience.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds creates a musical effect and links words together. Notice the repetition of the “oo” sound in “Busy old fool, unruly Sun” and the soft “o” sound in “Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime.” These sounds contribute to the poem’s lyrical quality.
- Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words adds emphasis and rhythm. For example, the sound of “th” in “Go tell court huntsmen that the king will ride” draws attention to this particular phrase.
- Apostrophe: This is a direct address to an absent or inanimate object. The entire poem is an apostrophe to the sun. Lines like “Busy old fool, unruly Sun” directly address the sun, giving it human qualities and engaging in a playful argument.
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within words creates a subtle harmony. For example, the repetition of “t” in “In that the world is contracted thus” and “l” in “Busy old fool, unruly Sun” enhances the poem’s sonic texture.
- Enjambment: This occurs when a phrase or sentence continues from one line to the next without punctuation. This technique creates a sense of flow and momentum. For example:
“Whether both the Indies of spice and mine
Be where thou leftst them, or lie here with me.”
The thought isn’t complete until the second line, drawing the reader forward. - Imagery: Donne uses vivid imagery to create mental pictures for the reader. Phrases like “Busy old fool, unruly Sun” and “Through windows, and through curtains call on us” evoke a strong visual sense of the scene. The concluding lines, “This bed thy center is, these walls, thy sphere,” create a compelling image of the lovers’ bedroom as a microcosm of the universe.
- Personification: Donne gives human qualities to inanimate objects, particularly the sun. By calling the sun a “Busy old fool,” he attributes human characteristics of meddling and foolishness to it. This personification is central to the playful tone of the poem.
- Rhetorical Question: Questions posed not to elicit answers but to make a point. Questions like “Why shouldst thou think?” and “Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run?” are not meant to be answered, but to challenge the sun’s authority and assert the lovers’ independence.
- Symbolism: The sun symbolizes power and the external world, while the bedroom symbolizes the lovers’ intimate universe. By confining the sun’s power to the bedroom, the speaker asserts the dominance of love over all other forces.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “The Sun Rising”
Beyond literary devices, Donne skillfully employs various poetic techniques to shape the form and meaning of “The Sun Rising.”
- End Rhyme: The use of rhyming words at the end of lines contributes to the poem’s musicality and structure. Common rhyme pairings include “sun” and “run,” “clime” and “time,” “thus” and “us,” and “think” and “wink.”
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem generally follows a flexible rhyme scheme that adapts to the speaker’s dramatic needs. Each stanza has its own internal pattern, creating a musical but unpredictable flow.
- Stanza: The poem is composed of twelve ten-line stanzas, known as decimetries. This structure provides a clear division of thought and contributes to the poem’s balanced form.
- Metaphysical Conceit: This is a complex and unconventional metaphor that draws a surprising connection between dissimilar things. In “The Sun Rising,” the central conceit compares the lovers’ bedroom to the entire universe, and the lovers themselves to kings and states. This elaborate metaphor is characteristic of metaphysical poetry.
Quotes to be Used
The lines below are particularly effective in describing the power and all encompassing nature of love.
She was all states, and all princes, I,
Nothing else is.
Princes do but play us; compared to this,
All honor’s mimic, all wealth alchemy.
These lines boldly declare the lovers’ complete self sufficient and the insignificance of worldly power in comparison to their love.