The Sun Rising By John Donne

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The Sun Rising In John Donne's "The Sun Rising", the lover's bed has been intruded upon by the presence of the sun and the man takes offense at this intrusion. He knows That the sun's presence means the end of their time together and he tries to deny this reality by boasting loudly of a higher reality. First he attacks the sun as an unruly servant, then lectures him on where true royalty and riches lie. Finally, he condescends to "allow" the sun to enter their chamber and warm them, since, after all, they are all that is important in the whole world. However, through all this, the sun continues to shine, silently reminding them of his reality Perhaps the lovers were awakened by the bright early morning sun, or perhaps they never slept as they passed the night together. Throughout the night they were only aware of each other, until this moment. The sun has entered the lover's sanctuary to remind them that time stops for no one and life makes other demands on them. But for the man it is too soon. "Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run" (4)? Line four could be interpreted as a plea for leniency. There is almost the whimper of the defeated in his words, for the sun, of course, is an unstoppable force. With these words of protest, he cries out against the sun's influence over them. He moves from insult, to plea, to haughty strutting as he attempts to turn the sun aside from his kingly reign over darkness. These lovers wish to remain hidden from the rest of the world. However, his method of persuasion is questionable. Fearing no reprisal, he insults the ruler of time as he would no earthly ruler. He questions his authority and speaks condescendingly, placing the sun in the status of a subordinate. How dare the sun intrude into the lover's domain? In their little kingdom, the sun has no right to dictate the time of day or the passing of seasons. His presence

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