The Sun Rising John Donne Songs and Sonnets

  • Slides: 4
Download presentation
“The Sun Rising” John Donne, “Songs and Sonnets” (1633)

“The Sun Rising” John Donne, “Songs and Sonnets” (1633)

GUIDED ANALYSIS 1. a. – b. – c. – d. – e. – f.

GUIDED ANALYSIS 1. a. – b. – c. – d. – e. – f. – Consider stanzas 1 -2 (line 1 -20) The sun’s power and glory are questioned throughout the poem. With what epithet does the poet address the sun? “Busy old fool” (l. 1). Why does he attack him ? Because it intrudes in the lovers’ life by awaking them. The sun rising possibly marks the end of the poet’s stay with his love. Is this attitude usual in love poetry? No, poets were used to praising the sun (for instance, by comparing their lovers’ eyes to his rays etc. ). Whom would the lover prefer the sun to disturb? Why? “Late school-boys” and immature apprentices (l. 6); “court-huntsmen” (l. 7), country people (l. 8). Because all these people are forced to wake up early in the morning. The sun is also a metaphor of time: how is the passing of time indicated in stanza 1? By the words “thy motions” (l. 4), “season … clime” (l. 9), “hours, days, months” (l. 10) Two hyperboles are used to refer to the lover and his woman. What are they? The lover could eclipse the sun by closing his eyes for a moment, while the lady’s eyes may have blinded that of the sun. The lady is compared to the West and East Indies while the lover is compared to all the kings.

2. Consider stanza 3 (lines 21 - 30). a. – b. – c. –

2. Consider stanza 3 (lines 21 - 30). a. – b. – c. – The last ten lines open with a statement which refers to the lady and the poet. Would you say that the opening questions of stanzas 1 and 2 indicate doubt on the lover’s part while the statement indicates certainty? The questions, which introduce stanza one and two express neither doubt nor curiosity; they are rather rhetorical questions addressed to the sun, so as to affirm its irrelevance to the lovers’ world unless the sun itself accepts being incorporated into it. The statements in lines 2123 express the perfection of the lovers ’world. The last lines of the poem state a paradox, as is often the case with the Metaphysical poets. Consider lines 26 – 28 and complete: Since the duty of the sun is to warm the world and since the lovers’ world is the only existing world , it follows that _________________ Since the duty of the sun is to warm the world and since the lovers’ world is the only existing world, it follows that by warming the lovers the sun warms the whole world. Then do the same with lines 29 – 30. The bed of the lovers is at the centre of the universe; the duty of the sun is to shine, therefore the sun must take the bed as the centre of its rotation so, once again, by shining on the lovers’ bed, the sun shines on the whole world

3. Focus on the language. a. The lover’s attitude towards the sun is one

3. Focus on the language. a. The lover’s attitude towards the sun is one of disrespect: how do we know? – Because of the epithets “Busy old fool” (l. 1), “Saucy pedantic wretch” (l. 5), and the many imperatives the poet uses , which show disrespect to the sun. b. Would you say the relationship between the sun and lovers undergoes a change in the poem? – Yes, at the beginning the sun is seen as a nuisance, to be chased away, whereas towards the end the sun is invited to partake in the lovers’ world (”Shine here to us”, l. 29). The poet ironically seems to feel pity for the sun’s old age. (“Thy age asks ease” l. 27) and asks it to consider the lovers’ bed and room as the centre of the universe and therefore to revolve around them (“thy sphere”, l. 30). 4. Focus on the rhyme scheme. Now that you have analysed the poem write down its rhyme scheme. abba, cdcd, ee;