Sunne+Rising

**SUNNE RISING** · Entire poem: personification of the sun....use of an apostrophe where he is directly rebuking the sun for having disturbed him and his lover. · Poem written in the form of an ‘Aubade’ (love poem after the lovers have spent the night together). Contrasts with the typical Elizabethan poetry where the lover admired his mistress from afar. Here, the persona is with his lover. · Part of //Songs and Sonnets//. Reference to King James in the poem dates the poem to after 1603 when Donne was already married to Anne More. Celebrates a satisfying union that is unconcerned with the outside world. Could refer to Donne being removed from his public post when his secret union was discovered. Uses a dramatic monologue
 * Introduction:**

· **Roadmap:** o Apparent irritation of the persona o Power dynamics between sun and the persona o His open declaration of superiority over the sun o Emphasis on the superiority of his love o The superficial nature of his love o Effect of the rhyming couplet

· He rebukes the sun for having disturbed them · Use of harsh diction: ‘busie old foole, unruly sunne’ ....harsh words...Donne already establishes himself as superior. · Ironic that he refers to sun as ‘unruly’ as the sun is perhaps the only factor that keeps the universe in order by determining night and day and seasons. · Questions does the sun have the power to also dictate when the 2 lovers should be together... · Uses a rhetorical question (evidence?) ...shows his arrogance...questions the sun’s authority. · The readers however can interpret this as Donne’s playful manner of writing.
 * Poem begins with irritation:**

· He then defines the role of the sun and the extent to which its authority extends... · Mockingly says that the sun only had control over: o Naughty school boys o Lazy prentices o The King o Harvest offices · (Ref to King James I who was firm in his routines and got up every morning to go riding...He was susceptible to flattery...Donne uses this to perhaps gain the King’s approval) · Further uses imperatives like ‘goe’ and ‘call’ hinting at the almost servile position of the sun. · Insults have become harsher...now refers to him as ‘saucy, pedantic wretch’
 * The power dynamics of the poem are seen to be almost defined when Donne elucidates the sun’s duties.**

· Shift in tone...now becomes condescending. · Uses a rhetorical question....questions the sun’s power by asking whether his beams were indeed that strong... (evidence) · Establishes his superior position by saying that he could overshadow the sun with a wink. · Uses a cluster of weather terms...this creates the image of an eclipse with the sun’s rays being covered. · Donne uses a **conceit** by comparing himself to a cloud...says that just like a cloud covers the sun, Donne was far superior to it and could similarly eclipse it with a mere wink. · The consonance and cacophony created (could eclipse and cloud them with a winke)...asserts his power.
 * He goes on to openly rebuke and ...the sun in the 2nd stanza...**

· His love was eternal not like seasons and climate...it was beyond the insignificant realm of time... · Uses listing effect ( hours, days, months) to emphasise that his love was greater than all of it.. · Refers to time as ‘rags of time’...looks down upon seasons, climate etc which gave in to an insignificant concept such as time. · Goes on to praise his mistress...says her beauty is so overpowering and radiant it is stronger than the sun’s beams...he is blinded by it... · Appears to elevate her position, call her beauty superior to everything. · He says that she is worth more than all the riches in the world. · He compares her to: o The Spices from India (socio cultural: spice route had just been discovered) o Myne: ref to mines and metals...riches such as gold etc...( USE OF PUN...WORD PLAY). Also perhaps ‘mine’: possessive...hints at the fact that he believes he owns her and she is under him. · He uses another PUN: ‘heare’ ‘here’: he tells the sun to ask the kings where all their riches were. He metaphorically says that all their riches were with him because what he had (love of his mistress) was nothing compared to their wealth · He concludes that she is greater than all riches and power that the Kings could ever have.
 * Emphasises on the superiority of his love:**

· 3rd stanza...uses a conceit...compares her to a state and himself to the prince who conquers it. · He therefore refers to her only as a possession who he has won over...not as true love...she is an object in his eyes...this is hinted before when he compares her to tangible objects like precious metals and wealth · Reversal of syntax: (‘she’s all state, and princes, I)...shows his belief he can play with all rules and conventions...establishes his overriding authority.. the syntactical placement of “She” at the beginning of the line and “I” at the end, Donne traps the whole world and its power structure between the lovers: “She is all states, and all princes, I.” (from enotes) · ‘Nothing else is’: definite statement...no room for any further argument. · Heavy caesura...slows down pace...to create a lasting impact...emphasises his superiority. · All princes want to be like him...and compared to his wealth (his lover) all honour’s is fake and alchemy is worthless. (alchemy was an important scientific concern during the Elizabethan and Jacobean period) · See the power and worth of what he possesses.
 * However, it is clear that even this declaration of love is to show his superiority**

· His most stretched conceit is seen when he compares his bed to the centre of the world. · Says the world is ‘contracted’ to the limits of his bed. · He says that it is the sun’s duty to warm the world...since the world was limited to the bed...all the sun had to do was keep his bed warm and comfortable. · Egocentric and arrogant descriptions create a condescending and tone, can also be read as a mock-serious poem

· **Rhyming couplet:** · Uses a completely anthropocentric view of the world · Disregard for the sun’s central position in the universe shows that he has also inverted that order. Belief in his highest and most superior position · (Socio cultural: discoveries regarding the order of the universe in terms of geocentric or heliocentric were being discussed...metaphysical trait to use complicated scientific arguments to develop his own arguments. Audience was restricted to his intellectual group...not meant for the masses) · Compares himself to the sun which is the actual centre of the universe...says the bed is the core of the sun while the walls of his room form the limits of the universe. · Appears as though even the elements of nature are bowing down to him · His love therefore is far superior to everything

· Therefore perhaps more of a dramatic lyrics...where although the focus appears to be on his lover..it is not. · He stresses on his poetic skills and establishes himself as a metaphysical poet by using elaborate arguments rather than the character he inadvertently reveals. · Similar to ‘The flea’ o Both taken from ‘songs and sonnets’ o Uses his mistress to make an argument o Mistress never speaks, male powerful narrator, only uses her as a tool to develop his argument. · This poem was considered scandalous in Elizabethan times as the lover was supposed to admire his mistress from afar. · Such a style was unheard of and uncommon. discuss where syntax has been inverted for example: rhyme scheme- is it consistent?
 * Conclusion:**
 * Rhyme and Rhythm (needs to be added) **


 * Central Paradox of the poem: claims at first nothing matter except for the persona and his mistress. Then he goes on to discuss the outside world. Reconciles the interior and exterior worlds by bringing the outside world (in the form of the sun) to his bedroom.

SHIFTS IN TONE (make this more explicit)**