In this post, notes of Unit 2 ( John Donne: Sunne Rising ) from DSC – 4 (14th to 17th Century English Poetry) are given which is helpful for the students doing graduation this year.
Introduction of John Donne
Biography of john Donne
John Donne (1572–1631) was a well-known English poet, scholar, soldier, and church leader.
He was born in London to a Catholic family during a time of religious conflict, which caused him some difficulties.
He studied at Oxford and Cambridge but did not earn degrees because of his background. Later, he changed to the Church of England, which helped him in his career.
His personal life included passionate relationships, especially his secret marriage to Anne More, which led to him being briefly imprisoned.
He eventually became the Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Famous works of John Donne
John Donne’s writing career is usually split into two parts: his early poems, which focus on love and other topics, and his later poems, which show his spiritual concerns after he became a clergyman. Some of his important works are:
– Songs and Sonnets: A collection of love poems showing his cleverness and deep feelings.
– The Holy Sonnets: Religious poems that express his strong faith and struggles with belief and death.
– Devotions upon Emergent Occasions: A prose work that reflects on life, especially sickness and death.
Donne’s poetry is known for being original, thoughtful, and emotionally rich, mixing themes of love, religion, and human experience.
Metaphysical Conceit in John Donne’s Poetry
John Donne is seen as one of the founders of metaphysical poetry, a type of poetry known for its clever and often surprising imagery. Key features of this poetry include:
– Conceits: Extended metaphors that create surprising links between different things, like Donne comparing lovers to a compass in A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning.
– Complexity of Thought: Metaphysical poets like Donne often think deeply about love, faith, and life’s big questions.
– Intellectual Playfulness: Donne’s poetry is clever, with playful language and logical ideas.
– Emotional Intensity: Even with its intellectual side, Donne’s poetry expresses strong personal feelings, especially in his love and religious poems.
Donne’s metaphysical poetry is notable for its mix of passion, thoughtfulness, and creative use of poetic techniques, which continue to inspire poets today.
| Related | You ca also read |
|---|---|
| Geoffrey Chaucer: ‘General Prologue’ and ‘Pardoner’s Tale’ from Canterbury Tales | Social Movements |
Summary of the Sunne Rising by John Jonne
Full Text of the Poem Sunne Rising
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 school boys 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 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 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 center is, these walls, thy sphere.
By – john Donne
| Related | you can also read |
|---|---|
| Philip Sidney: ‘Sonnet I’ | Reformism and Anti-Reformism in the Nineteenth Century |
Stanza-wise Summary of Sunne Rising
Stanza 1: The speaker talks to the Sun, calling it a “busy old fool” for shining into his room and interrupting him and his lover.
He thinks the Sun is annoying and questions why it gets to decide when they spend time together.
He jokingly suggests the Sun should wake up schoolboys or hunters instead, showing that love is not bound by time like everyday chores.
This stanza highlights that love is more important than the passing of time.
Stanza 2: The speaker continues to tease the Sun, saying he could block its light just by closing his eyes, but he doesn’t want to because he wants to see his lover.
He tells the Sun to look around and see if the world’s treasures, like spices and gold, are still where they belong or if they are now in his bedroom.
He believes that kings and their kingdoms don’t matter anymore because what truly matters is in their bed.
Stanza 3: In the last stanza, the speaker says his lover is as important as all the countries in the world, and he sees himself as their ruler.
He thinks traditional signs of power, like money and status, are not important compared to their love.
The speaker claims that the Sun is less happy than them because their love is all that matters.
He tells the Sun that it can fulfill its job of warming the world just by shining on them, as their bed is the most important place in the universe.
| Related | you can also read |
|---|---|
| Walter Raleigh: ‘The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage’ | Partition, Independence and Integration of states |
Critical Interpretations
History of poem Sunne Rising
John Donne wrote The Sunne Rising in the early 1600s when England was changing a lot in terms of ideas and culture.
This time was known for a new kind of poetry called metaphysical poetry, which mixed deep thoughts about love, religion, and science.
During Donne’s life, England was moving away from old beliefs and starting to understand the universe in a new way, especially with scientific discoveries like Copernicus’ idea that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
Donne’s poetry shows the clash between these old and new ideas, mixing themes of love with unique views on time, space, and emotions.
In The Sunne Rising, Donne teases the Sun, a symbol of power and time, claiming that love is stronger than these cosmic forces.
This goes against the Renaissance belief that people must accept the natural order of the universe, suggesting instead that human feelings, especially love, can rise above physical limitations.
The poem also fits into Donne’s broader work where he often mixes physical love with spiritual ideas.
Modern Views on Poem Sunne Rising
Today, critics appreciate The Sunne Rising for its cleverness, fun tone, and deep thoughts.
The poem is seen as a key example of Donne’s metaphysical poetry, where smart arguments blend with personal experiences.
Important points from modern criticism include:
| Modern Criticism of “The Sunne Rising” | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Clever Comparisons | Donne uses creative comparisons, such as likening the lovers’ bed to the whole world. Critics admire the originality of these comparisons, which reveal deeper truths about love. |
| Challenging Power | The poem questions traditional authorities like the Sun and the universe, offering a new perspective on love’s role in the world. Some critics view Donne’s disregard for time as a challenge to religious and scientific beliefs that limit people’s lives. |
| Gender and Control | Feminist critics focus on the portrayal of the woman, noting that she is significant to the speaker but remains voiceless and inactive. Some see this as an expression of traditional male control, with the man speaking for both. |
| Existential Ideas | Some critics believe that Donne’s views in the poem hint at modern existentialism, where personal experiences like love are seen as the primary source of meaning, overshadowing time and authority. |
Discussion Questions
Key Questions for Understanding of Sunne Rising
-
Why does the speaker call the Sun a “busy old fool”? What does this say about how he feels about time and nature?
-
How does Donne use exaggeration in the poem to show how important the lovers’ relationship is?
-
What does the image of the bed symbolize in the poem? How does it represent the larger universe?
-
How does the poem show the features of metaphysical poetry, like clever comparisons and complex ideas?
Analytical Questions
-
Time and Love: How does Donne challenge the usual ideas about time in The Sunne Rising? How does he show love as being more important than time?
-
Power Dynamics: Look at the relationship between the speaker and the Sun. What does Donne suggest about authority? How might this relate to human power structures?
-
Philosophical Ideas: How does the poem reflect thoughts about love, existence, and the universe? How can The Sunne Rising show the conflict between science and religion during the Renaissance?
-
Gender Roles: The speaker praises his lover but she does not speak in the poem. How does this change our view of their power dynamic? Does her silence show women as passive, or could it mean something else?
-
Modern Relevance: How do Donne’s ideas about love, time, and authority connect with today’s issues? Can the poem be seen as questioning modern ideas about work-life balance, love, and personal happiness?
These questions are meant to help readers think more deeply about Donne’s The Sunne Rising, looking at both its writing style and its wider meanings in culture and philosophy.\
Analysis of Sun Rising by John Donne
theme of the sunne rising by john donne
theme of Love and Relationships
The main idea in The Sunne Rising is that love is more important than anything else.
The speaker believes that his love is timeless and greater than the natural world, like the Sun, time, and seasons.
He sees his relationship as the most important thing in the universe, making other worries—like money and power—less important.
Love creates its own reality, showing its strong and lasting nature.
The Role of the Speaker
The speaker in The Sunne Rising is very confident and even a bit bold as he talks to the Sun.
He thinks his love life is the most important thing, suggesting that his feelings matter more than the rest of the world.
His strong claims about love are both serious and playful, putting his personal feelings at the center of everything.
His direct way of speaking is typical of metaphysical poets, connecting personal experiences to bigger ideas.
Metaphysical Elements
As a metaphysical poem, The Sunne Rising includes clever ideas and deep thoughts, linking the physical and spiritual worlds.
The main idea is that the speaker’s love makes the Sun and time not matter. The poem combines personal feelings with grand ideas, showing how love can go beyond time and space.
It also looks at human experiences to understand the universe, blending everyday things (like sunshine and beds) with big concepts (like love and eternity).
Literary Devices used in the sunne rising
Use of Conceit
A conceit is a creative comparison between two very different things. In The Sunne Rising, Donne compares the lovers’ bed to the whole world and the lover’s eyes to the Sun.
The speaker claims that his love is greater than money, power, and even the Sun, showing Donne’s cleverness and originality.
This idea highlights that love is enough on its own and stronger than outside influences.
Imagery and Symbolism
Donne uses strong imagery in the poem, especially with the Sun as a symbol of time and power. Normally, the Sun stands for order and the passage of time, but Donne changes this meaning, making the Sun seem unimportant to the lovers.
The image of their bed as the center of the universe shows that their love is all-powerful. Donne also uses images of wealth from around the world to suggest that material riches are nothing compared to the speaker’s love.
Paradox and Hyperbole
Donne often uses paradox, where two opposite ideas are put together to reveal a deeper truth. In The Sunne Rising, the speaker says their small bed is the entire universe, showing how love can feel all-encompassing.
He also uses hyperbole, meaning he exaggerates to highlight the speaker’s power over time and space.
For example, he claims that his love is more important than everything else and that he can block out the Sun with just a wink.
These exaggerations show how intense his feelings are and challenge the usual ideas about importance.
Summary of Key Literary Devices:
- – Conceit: The lovers’ bed is compared to the whole world, and their love to the power of the Sun.
- – Imagery and Symbolism: The Sun stands for time and power; the bed symbolizes the lovers’ own universe.
- – Paradox: The lovers’ private experience becomes the whole world, mixing the small with the big.
- – Hyperbole: The speaker greatly exaggerates the power of love, saying it overshadows all other concerns.
Through these themes and literary devices, Donne creates a poem that looks at the power of love while also discussing the nature of time and the universe.
4. Comparative Analysis
Comparison with Other Poems by Donne
| Comparison with Other Poems by Donne | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Similarities | |
| Metaphysical Features | Like Donne’s other poems, “The Sunne Rising” includes complex ideas and clever thinking, blending personal feelings with deeper questions. For example, in A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, Donne compares lovers to a compass, illustrating how love endures despite separation, much like in “The Sunne Rising”, where love is stronger than the Sun and time. |
| Focus on Love | Both “The Sunne Rising” and other love poems by Donne, like The Good-Morrow and The Canonization, emphasize love as a powerful, transformative force. The speakers often express how love makes them feel timeless, as seen in The Canonization, where love is celebrated. |
| Mix of Physical and Spiritual | Donne frequently connects physical love with spiritual meanings. In The Flea, the joining of lovers represents a deeper bond, while in “The Sunne Rising”, their bed symbolizes the universe, showcasing the blend of physical and spiritual elements. |
| Differences | |
| Tone and Attitude | “The Sunne Rising” has a light, playful tone, unlike more serious poems like The Holy Sonnets, which delve into religious, moral, and existential issues like salvation, sin, and life after death. |
| Subject Matter | Some of Donne’s later poems, especially after becoming an Anglican priest, shift from earthly love to spiritual themes. For instance, Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness explores death and the afterlife, while “The Sunne Rising” focuses on celebrating physical love in the present. |
Common Themes and Motifs
- Enduring Love: Many of Donne’s poems show love as something that goes beyond ordinary limits, like time and death. This idea is present in The Sunne Rising, A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, and The Canonization, where love is shown as everlasting.
- Control of the Speaker: In much of Donne’s poetry, the speaker has power over outside forces like nature and time. In Death Be Not Proud, the speaker challenges death’s power, just as in The Sunne Rising, the speaker ignores the Sun’s control over his love.
- Use of Conceit: Donne’s clever comparisons are a key feature in his work. In The Sunne Rising, he compares the lovers’ bed to the world, similar to how he compares lovers to a compass in A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, showing their connection despite being apart.
Impact and Legacy
Influence on Later Poets
John Donne’s unique style influenced many later poets, especially those in the metaphysical group, like George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, and Henry Vaughan.
These poets adopted Donne’s thoughtful way of writing and used rich metaphors to explore love, religion, and existence.
– George Herbert: Herbert’s poems, like The Collar and Love (III), reflect Donne’s influence by combining personal thoughts with complex religious ideas.
Like Donne, Herbert uses paradox and clever comparisons to discuss spiritual topics.
– Andrew Marvell: Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress relates to The Sunne Rising in its exploration of love and time.
Marvell’s speaker challenges the idea of time, but unlike Donne’s playful tone, Marvell’s approach feels more urgent and serious.
Donne’s influence also reached beyond metaphysical poets. The modern poet T.S. Eliot praised Donne for merging thought with feeling, which he saw as important in modern poetry.
Eliot’s writing, like The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, includes Donne-like features of deep thought and strong emotions.
Relevance in Modern Literature
Donne’s views on love, time, and authority still resonate with today’s readers and writers.
His ability to make personal experiences, especially love, seem universal has made him a significant figure for poets and readers dealing with similar themes.
– Love as Powerful: Donne’s ideas about love’s ability to change how we see time are still relevant today.
Writers and poets explore how close relationships can influence our views of reality. His strong statements about love continue to inspire works that delve into romantic relationships.
– Challenging Authority: Donne’s defiance of forces like the Sun and time in The Sunne Rising foreshadows themes of resistance found in modern literature.
His playful challenge to traditional order can be seen in later works that question societal rules and norms.
– Mix of Thought and Emotion: Modern poets like T.S. Eliot and W.H. Auden admire Donne’s talent for combining deep ideas with emotional truth, making his style a model for mixing thoughtful concepts with personal experiences.
Conclusion
John Donne’s The Sunne Rising embodies many themes and techniques common in his poetry: clever comparisons, deep thinking, and a focus on love’s power over time and space.
When compared to his other works, like A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning and The Canonization, the poem reflects his recurring themes of love, power, and breaking free from traditional limits.
Donne’s impact continues through his influence on later poets and his ongoing relevance in modern literature, where love and time remain important topics.