Introduction
For many centuries and across many continents and societies, poetry is one of the literary arts that have been embraced and used by poets and other lingual professionals to address various aspects that affect the day to day organization of the society. Taking a rhythmic route and characterized by various languages such as symbolism and phonaesthetics, poems have been introduced and adopted into the society and later passed on from one generation to the next, in order to educate, entertain, rebuke, teach, correct and direct, among many other roles that they play in our society.
Various poets have in the process, gained worldwide acclaim, as a result of their prowess, particularly, in expressing themselves and teaching the society. One of these poets includes John Donne (1572-1631). As a satiric poet, John Donne is considered to be one most metaphysical poets in history, and one of the factors that characterized his works include metaphors and a spiritual approach in his writing. Paradox, dislocations and irony are some of the aspects that characterized his poetry and writing, considering the fact that he was a satirical poet. This is one of the factors and qualities that made his work stand out, and consequently, leaning him to gain a worldwide acclaim in not only the poetic field, but also edging a major mark in the linguistics and literature field. The Sun Rising is one of John Donne’s most celebrated works, not only due to its satirical references, but also the diversity of the piece.
The Sun Rising
First verse
The most essential reason why it was necessary to carry out a background look at the career of John Donne and his writing and poetry is due to the fact that most of these aspects and characteristics will be heavily reflected in his poem, The Rising Sun. For instance, an overview skim through the poem shows a lot of negativity and pessimism, induced through satire, criticizing the reason why the run rises. His pessimistic nature is seen from the very beginning of the poem, with the first stanzas, “Busy old fool, the unruly sun”.
He proceeds to ask the sun, “Why dost thou thus?” to mean why do you do this? One of the most essential things to note concerning the first two stanzas is the fact that they represent the persona’s anger, negativity and pessimism, from facing a new day. In normal and ordinary cases, human beings are happy with the crack of each dawn, since every new day is considered a blessing. This is contrary to the persona’s opinion in the poem, whereby he is not pleased with the new day.
In the second and the third stanzas, the persona in the poem proceeds to ask why the sun has to wake the people up through the curtains, ending the lovers’ motions’ season. From these two stanza’s it is evident that the persona in the poem sees the sun as a distraction to other people’s privacy, particularly the human beings, whereby the sun penetrates through the windows’ curtains, waking up the people, and in the process, distracting them. The later parts of the verse go on to tell the sun how much pain and problem it causes to mankind. For instance, in the ninth and the tenth stanza, the persona tells the sun that there would be no seasons, days, nights and months among other subdivisions, if the sun didn’t rise and set as it does on a daily basis.
However, even with his apparent liberty to do whatever he wants and his independence from the existence of the sun, the most ironical thing concerning the same is the fact that the persona subconsciously admits that he is governed by the sun, which dictates the activities in which mankind will involve themselves in. These include activities such as going to school, the different seasons (which directly determine factors such as agriculture, as well as the day to day activities that man involves himself in, based on seasonality). This, therefore, represents unavoidable reliance upon the sun.
Second verse
In the second verse, the persona shifts his approach and communication towards the sun from a pessimistic and negative one, to a proud and superior approach. This is where he seeks to show the sun that he is more powerful than the sun itself, and this is one of the factors that have led to a major controversy and an unclear insight of the persona’s mind as he relates to the sun. For instance, in the first and the second stanzas respectively, the persona asks the sun if its beams are so strong and reverend (reverend in this case to metaphorically represent majestic and power), why should it not think? At the same time, the reason why the persona insists that he is powerful compared to the sun is due to the fact that he considers himself the master, while the sun is the visitor (This is also portrayed in the first verse, whereby he asserts that the sun comes to penetrate into the people’s lives, and in the process, interfering with their privacy) (Burt 4).
In this case, therefore, being the master means that the sun should respect his domain. In this light, he insists that he is more powerful than the visiting sun, and can even put the sun’s rays off by simply closing his eyes. Closing his eyes in this case, signifies and means that he can ignore the sun’s presence and continue with his daily operations without necessarily involving the sun, or letting its movements and activities interfere with his activities. For instance, he asserts and sarcastically tells the sun that it can liaise with the kings and it will be told that the persona did not wake up, since his activities, unlike others, are not governed by the movement of the sun or its activities.
In this verse, the persona mentions a few things that are highly regarded as essential in the society, and that the various people use to not only compare their day to day activities and achievements with, but also highly regard as essential in the society. These include the Indian Ocean and the West Indies’ mines. These are referred to as the most precious things in life. According to the persona, he is quick to explain that they also reside indoors (just as his choice in cases of the sun’s rising). He, therefore, shows that he is not ready to follow the other people in doing what should apparently be done in cases of the sun’s rising or setting. Rather, he should stay indoors and continue with his indoors activities, such as spending his time with those that he loves, which is presumably his family (as earlier mentioned in the first verse, whereby he mentions that the sun comes to interrupt his time with his lover).
The third verse
The third verse of the poem takes a completely different from of events. This is where the persona, who had initially presented himself with toughness and pride, gives the sun a second thought, and finally sees its necessity. For instance, in the seventh stanza, he says that “thou age asks ease” this is to mean that considering the fact that the sun is old in comparison to his age and that of the things around his everyday life, it is necessary to treat the sun with respect (ease), and he also acknowledges, in the same stanza, the fact that the sun is only carrying out and executing its duties. As a result, the persona asks the sun to shine everywhere, including the center of his bed (to signify the places closest to him), as well as all the other areas of his life (Burt 4).
Secondly, it is necessary to note the fact that the persona has stopped speaking on his behalf in the third verse. Unlike in the first and the second verses whereby he referred to himself with the pronoun “I”, the third verse has shown a major difference, whereby, he uses the pronouns ‘we’ and ‘us’, for example, in the fifth and the eighth stanzas, respectively. One of the most essential things to note concerning this change is the fact that it represents the independent nature of mankind, whereby, he looks up to the sun, collectively as a society, in order to carry out their activities. At the same time, it is also necessary to note the fact that one of the roles that the sun has in the poem is to bring warmth, and this is what holds the people together, in lover and harmony (Burt 5).
Artistic styles
There are various artistic styles that John Donne has adopted in the poem, and that effectively stand out, and assist in bringing out the message that he sought to bring out when writing the poem. Firstly, satire is the most outstanding style that has been used. In fact, it is evident in both the first and the second verses, whereby the persona regards the sun with disrespect and spite. For instance, the persona tells the sun to “go chide” in the fifth stanza of the first verse. This shows a lot of satirical approach that the persona holds towards the sun.
Secondly, metaphors have been used in the poem, and they stand out, especially in their usage. For instance, in the first stanza of the second verse, the persona describes the sun’s beams as so reverend and strong. In this case, eh has metaphorically used the noun reverend to mean powerful and majestic. Metaphors are some of the strongest and effective strategies and styles to use in passing a message, especially, in cases where the persona has a negative attitude and approach towards something.
Thirdly, John Donne has used rhetorical questions as a style to write his poem. For example, in the second stanza of the second verse, the poet uses a rhetorical question, “Why shouldst thou think?” one of the most essential things to note concerning rhetorical questions include the fact that they play a major role in involving, including and incorporating the poem’s audience in the art itself. This is because the rhetorical questions will intrigue the audience’s thought, which draws their attention closer to the poem. In this case, for example, some of the questions that the poetry’s audience is likely to ask itself is why the sun, being so majestic as described in the first stanza of the verse, cannot control itself and its activities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one of the aspects that clearly stand out in this poem is the satirical aspect that John Donne adopts in addressing the sun, and every good thing that comes with it. In this poem, however, the last verse comes into harmony between the persona and the sun, whereby the persona agrees to the fact that the sun has a major role to play, especially in the society. In this case, therefore, he acknowledges that the sun has societal relevance, and though he himself might not benefit from it, the sun is beneficial to the society and in this case, it is necessary to respect it, and let it continue with its activities. In this case, therefore, John Donne introduces a sense of harmony between two different and varying variables. This poem, therefore, shows and teaches harmony, from a satirical perspective, something that most authors and poets of John Donne’s time didn’t achieve to do (Burt 6).
Works cited
Burt, Stephen. “John Donne: The Sun Rising”. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/guide/177309 on May 5th, 2013. Web.
