By personifying the sun as a "busy old fool," the poet fosters interaction between the abstract (the sun) and the tangible (lovers). Donne employs the personification and symbolism of the sun in "The Sun Rising" to emphasize the force and strength of his connection. Donne uses the image of the sun to show that his love is powerful and strong, even though it is dawn and he has not yet seen his lover.
— Merriam-Webster
The sun does not pause in its journey across the sky to pay attention to the love letters that poets write to it. However, some poets do choose to personify the sun as a way to appeal to its audience. One such poet was John Donne, who used the sun as an analogy for the power of his own love letter in "The Sun Rising."
Donne wrote several poems about his love for Anne More, but she did not return his feelings. So, using the sun as a metaphor, he tries to convince her that although they are two different people with separate lives, there is something special about their relationship. He wants her to know that even though the sun is bright and hot one moment and then gone the next, its effect on Earth is constant and strong.
The Sun Rising, originally spelled as The Sunne Rising, is a metaphysical love poem by John Donne in which the sun is personified as the "busy old fool". The order given to the sun by the poet to rush the schoolboy to court the king in his ride and harvesting implies the daily chores that the poet counts, except for his love. The poem has been interpreted as a defence of marriage against religious heresy, as well as a plea to the devil not to take away the poet's soul.
Sun Rising was first published in 1615 in the First Series of Donne's Complete Works. It was later included in Donne's Second Volume of Poems (1633).
Donne wrote many other poems during his lifetime, but only these two were published then. Many years after Donne's death, in 1648, his widow sold all their belongings to pay their debts. All copies of The Sun Rising were destroyed in a fire at the home of George Herbert, Donne's friend and fellow clergyman. Only one copy exists today.
In modern times, several interpretations have been suggested for this poem. Some scholars believe it to be a plea to God not to let the poet die before finding true love. Others see in it a defense of marriage and the traditional role of women. Yet others view it as a protest against religious intolerance.
"The Sun Rising," one of Donne's most charming and successful metaphysical love poems, is built on a few hyperbolic assertions: first, that the sun is conscious and has the watchful personality of an old busybody; second, that love, as the speaker puts it, "knows no season, nor clime,/nor hours, days, or months, which...
Love knows no time, no season,/no year, no day, no hour. Love swears not to,/for truth is truth, and will not lie:/therefore we may conclude that love is eternal.
Popularity of "The Sun Rising": "The Sun Rising," sometimes known as "The Sunne Rising," was written by John Donne, a prominent English poet. It was published for the first time in 1633. The poem tells the story of two lovers who are bothered by the rising light. It conveys the speaker's desire for no one to bother him while they are together. Donne used natural images to describe his feelings toward two women he loved. He compares their cheeks to roses and says they smell so sweetly that it makes his heart beat faster when they come into view.
Donne wrote other poems also liked by many people including "Holy Sonnet" and "Devotions."
He was born in 1572 into a wealthy family living in London. His father was an attorney who later became a judge. Young John went to Cambridge University where he studied theology for three years before moving to Paris, France where he learned to speak French and Latin. There he met other scholars from all over Europe who were interested in new ideas proposed by scientists such as Galileo and Descartes. This is when he began to write poems too.
When Donne came back to England, he started serving the Queen as one of the members of her religious team. However, he had an affair with another man and was forced to leave England. He traveled around Europe for several years before settling down in London where he worked as an ambassador for the King. He died at the age of 36 in 1631.
"The Sun Rising" as a Love Representation: The poem expresses the speaker's unending love for his sweetheart. The poem starts with the speaker laying in bed with his beloved. He chastises the morning light, wondering why it bothers them through the drapes and windows. However, he soon realizes that her soul is asleep and she needs more time to wake up before they can be together again. Thus, the speaker resolves to wait for her by not waking up himself. When she wakes up, they have all the time in the world to spend together.
As far as symbolism goes, the sunrise is used to represent many different things. Sometimes it represents hope, while at other times it represents freedom. In "The Sun Rising," by William Wordsworth, it represents love because it shows how much the speaker loves his girlfriend. Without her presence, he would never be able to go out of his room and face the daylight. Therefore, he decides to stay in bed so that he doesn't disturb her sleep.
Her soul is still asleep when the speaker wakes up. Only then does she realize that he hasn't gone out yet. This shows that her lover still has some feelings for her even though she has already left him. Even so, he keeps their love alive by not waking up herself. They have all the time in the world to be together again once she has fully awakened.
The Sun Rising is a love poem set in the speaker's bedroom, where he and his sweetheart are probably lying in bed after a night of passion. The sun is viewed as an unwelcome morning visitor, violating the couple's space, and is initially offended before being confronted. The speaker tries to persuade the sun not to rise, but in vain; so then he asks its reasons for doing so. When the sun does not reply, the speaker concludes that it must be true love.
This short poem was written by John Keats in 1819. It was published along with other poems by him under the title "Ode on a Grecian Urn".
Love is described as a burning fire, which when unquenched will consume the lover and his or her loved ones. Love is also said to be a disease, which makes its victims act in ways that seem unnatural to others. Finally, love is said to be a poison, which can cause even the most stable people to do irrational things.
Keats uses all these descriptions to explain why the sun has to rise every day: because love burns very brightly and cannot be extinguished. It is a disease because nobody can cure it; it is a poison because it can make people do irrational things. Without love, there would be no sunrise, so it is reasonable for the sun to rise each day.