Analysis of the Sun Rising

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John Donne’s “The Sun Rising” is a metaphysical poem that defies the glory and status of the sun’s strength in praise and higher glorification of the person’s lady and mistress. “The Sun Rising” basically compares the strength of the sun against the beauty of his mistress and concludes that the beauty of his mistress far out shines the glow of the sun. The persona in the poem is furious and angry at the sun’s intrusion of his love relationship. He addresses the sun by first asking “why dost thou thus.” And then he tells us that the sun invades his privacy by crawling “through windows and through curtains”. This is that which lays the foundation for the poem; ridiculously defying the sun in praise of his love. He thinks that the sun is being unduly inquisitive and a “busy body.” Thus he pokes its nose into issues that do not concern it or he hasn’t been invited. In going about his useless errands, he neglects his rightful duties. And for this cause the persona calls the sun a “busy old fool.” He says that the rightful duties of the sun include waking; Late school-boys and sour prentices, Go tell court-huntsmen that the king will ride, Call country ants to harvest offices; In the persona’s opinion, these are the people who need the sun’s intrusion the most, not him and certainly not at the time he is enjoying love. In his fury he ridicules the sun strength of the sun saying; Thy beams so reverend, and strong Why shouldst thou think? Thus he tells the sun not to trust his strength and the praise of people for it because he can just by shutting his eyes “eclipse and cloud them with a wink”. That is to say that he is much stronger than the sun. He further says that his mistress hold more rays and shine than the sun. He believes that the shine of his mistress’ eyes alone is powerful enough to blind the sun. He dares the sun when he said “if her eyes have not
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