The Sun Rising Summary

The poem was written by John Donne and titled " The Sun Rising," originally spelled "The Sunne Rising." It is a metaphysical love poem produced in 1633. The poem is divided into three stanzas, comprises thirty lines, and is dominated by wits, meta imagery, and conceits. It is one of the remarkable poems which expresses a desire to alter the rule of nature for the sake of lovers. His demands for complete privacy and interruption done by nature are intolerable. It shows he puts more emphasis on love rather than nature and other important aspects of life.

The poem is determined to prove that love is more beautiful and stronger than any other object in the universe. The Speaker believes that his love is mighty and all the universe overlaps with his love. The Sun has been personified by derogatory words such as "busy old fool," he wishes to transfer more strength and power to his love. The poet also tries to denigrate the Sun by asking to go and call people with less significance, such as farm workers, schoolboys, and restful apprentices.

Stanza Wise Summary

1. First Stanza

The poem begins with the Speaker's bedroom, where the Sun disturbs the poet's privacy and causes unwanted interference in the poet and his love. So, this gives rise to conflict between the Sun, the poet, and his lover. The Speaker has personified the Sun as a " busy old fool" with no protocol in front of some authority. The Sun was heavily denigrated before being questioned and challenged. The Sun goes to the bed chamber of the poet and his beloved. This has been described as an ill-mannered and foolish act and tries to invade someone's privacy. At the time of Donne, the term you had been employed politely and formally, and other hand terms like "thou and thee" had been employed to refer to someone in an impolite and informal manner.

By referring to the Sun as thou, the Speaker wants to prove a point that the Sun is an inferior object. The Speaker asks a rhetorical question in the third and fourth lines, but he is not keen to know the answer. Instead, he wants to convey that it does not interfere with lovers' lives and disturbs someone in the bedroom. He claims it is not feasible to act under your motion as love is beyond the barrier and limits. He tells him to visit those people whose works are less significant such as schoolboys, farmers, and hunting men. The Speaker illustrates the power of love by equating love beyond time, weather, and place. The love never alters, and it does not impact the division of blocks.

2. Second Stanza

The Speaker in the second stanza begins with a rhetorical question and points to the Sun, which makes your light so remarkable. The Speaker says he can dim your shine in mere seconds with just a blink of an eye. However, he sees no reason to waste my time doing so. The Speaker also has one more reason to shut his eyes because he will miss the impressive glimpse of his lover. Please return the following day with news of kings and queens, the latest updates about Indian spices, and other remarkable stuff from around the world.

The second stanza concludes that all the globe's wealth, beauty, and specialties remain on his bed. The statement suggests that the Speaker values their beloved above all else in the world and believes their love is stronger than any other force.

3. Third Stanza

In the poem's final stanza, the Speaker expresses their adoration for their beloved, stating that they are everything to them. The Speaker feels immensely fulfilled and content when together, requiring nothing else. The phrase "She is all states and all prices I" expresses deep contentment and joy in each other's company. The Speaker views their beloved as the entire world and themselves as a king who possesses their beloved. Their beloved is more important than worldly possessions, honors, or riches. The Speaker believes wealth and gold, which the Alchemist claims to create from junk metal, are unnecessary.

"Thou, sun, art, half as happy as we."

The Speaker is trying to claim that Sun is unhappy as alone, making him half happy. In the final stanza of the poem, the poem's tone changes, and the Speaker becomes compassionate toward him by saying you are old, but you must keep the earth warm. The Speaker befriended the Sun and invited it into his bedroom. He believed that if the Sun shone over him, it would also shine over every part of the world, as his bedroom was the center.

Deep Analysis of the Poem

• A Remarkable Lover Poetry: The Sun Rising poem is one of the remarkable poems of Donne. As a poet, he described both sides of love: the Physical and spiritual sides of the poem. In this particular scenario, the focus is on the significant moment experienced by married couples, which is uncommonly depicted in love poetry. The scene portrays two lovers in bed who choose to remain in bed even when the Sun shines on them in the morning.
• Language: Extravagant and Bold: In this lyric poetry, the poet bravely scolds the Sun with unmatched boldness. He describes the Sun as a busy old fool, a saucy and pedantic wretch. According to the poet, the Sun may have authority over late schoolboys and apprentices, but it has no control over him or his wife. The seasons of love do not follow the Sun's movements.

Metaphysical Conceits Dominates

In "Good Morrow," the poet showcases his disdain for the Sun while exhibiting his vast knowledge and metaphysical cleverness. He employs detailed comparisons to celebrate his beloved, drawing inspiration from recent geographical discoveries, such as the "Indias of spice and mine" (referring to India, the West Indies, and America). Ultimately, he considers his wife to embody the essence of both these regions.

Literary Device

It is a thirty-line poem and contains three stanzas. Each stanza comprises two quatrains and rhymed as ABBA and CDCD with a couplet EE. Donne has used several literary devices, such as:

1. Metaphor: The Speaker has called the Sun a personified entity and asserts by claiming " Busy old fool, unruly sun" to express his anguish by his intrusion.
2. Personification: The Sun has been personified in the entire poem. This can be best illustrated with the Must go about the world, for all I care."

About the Poet: John Donne

He was an excellent poet from Roman Catholic Family. He was very popular for his sermons and assumed the role of Dean St. Pauls's Cathedral in London. He attended Oxford University when he was 11 years old and received education for three years. He did not take any degree. He also studied Law at Lincoln's Inn, London, in 1592.

John Donne's writing method greatly varies from the writer of his time. His literature has an instant swing from the material to the spiritual sphere. The reader can observe conceit, wit, individualism, and the quest for learning. His literature is a great departure from the traditional verse style, and he has been regarded as a metaphysical Poet.

Definition of Metaphysical Poetry

Poetry talks about a subject that is beyond the physical world. This form of poetry is considered very intelligent and tries to discover the spiritual world. Philosophical subjects like faith, love, religion, God, and beauty dominate the theme running down in Donne's poetry. The concept of the metaphysical poet came into existence at the time of the Renaissance, and John Donne is regarded as the most renowned among metaphysical poets. He is referred to as the father and founder of metaphysical poetry. Metaphysical poetry was later popularised and taken to the next level by Samuel Johnson in the Eighteenth Century. Some other popular metaphysical poets include Andrew Marvell, John Dryden, and George Herbert.