IEB Poetry 2023 : 'The Sun Rising' by John Donne

Summary

This video script serves as a revision guide for John Donne's poem 'The Sun Rising,' in preparation for IEB curriculum exams. It explores Donne's life, his conversion to Anglicanism, and his influential role as a metaphysical poet. The script delves into the poem's structure, its use of apostrophe and metaphysical conceits, and the lovers' defiance of the sun's dominance. It also touches on the historical context of Donne's time and the tradition of dawn-parting love poems, leaving viewers to ponder the poem's deeper meanings and the speaker's relationship with his lover.

Takeaways

• 📚 John Donne's life was marked by living through the reigns of three monarchs and his struggle as a Catholic in Protestant England.
• 🎓 Despite attending Oxford and Cambridge, Donne could not receive a degree due to religious persecution against Catholics.
• 📖 Donne's diverse career included roles as a soldier, lawyer, diplomat, and member of Parliament, which influenced his poetry.
• 🌟 Donne's conversion to Anglicanism led to his appointment as Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, where he became a renowned preacher.
• 📝 Metaphysical poetry, which Donne was a part of, is characterized by its use of wit, paradoxes, and secular and religious imagery.
• 💬 The conversational style of metaphysical poetry contrasts with the rigid structure of Elizabethan-era writing.
• 🧠 Metaphysical conceits are arguments that use illogical logic to make a philosophical point, often through wordplay and paradox.
• 🌞 'The Sun Rising' is an example of an apostrophe, where the speaker addresses a non-human entity, in this case, the Sun.
• 👥 The poem uses the Sun as a symbol of time and challenges its power over the lovers' experience, asserting the primacy of their love.
• 🌈 The poem's structure and rhyme scheme reflect the metaphysical poets' rejection of strict Elizabethan forms.
• 🌅 The final stanza suggests a redefinition of the world's center, placing the lovers at the heart of the universe, rather than the Sun.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to provide a revision for John Donne's poem 'The Sun Rising' as preparation for the final examinations of the IEB curriculum, specifically for Cullen's current metric class.

Who was John Donne and what challenges did he face in his life?

John Donne was a bright young man who lived through the reigns of three monarchs: Queen Elizabeth I, King James, and King Charles I. He faced challenges as a Catholic in a time when Catholics were persecuted in England, which prevented him from obtaining a degree from Oxford or Cambridge despite his studies there.

What were some of the jobs John Donne held throughout his life?

John Donne held a number of jobs including soldier, lawyer, diplomat, and even a member of Parliament during the reign of King James.

What religious change did John Donne undergo during the reign of King James?

During the reign of King James, John Donne swapped his Catholic beliefs for those of the Anglican Church, which led to his appointment as dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

How is John Donne's poetry characterized?

John Donne's poetry is characterized by both religious and secular imagery, drawn from his diverse life experiences. It is known for its conversational style, using the diction and rhythms of normal speech patterns of the time.

What is metaphysical poetry and how does it relate to John Donne's work?

Metaphysical poetry is characterized by its subject matter related to the nature of reality, often using outrageous logic, wit, and clever paradoxes or puns. John Donne's work was admired and used as a model by a group of poets known as the metaphysical poets.

What is a metaphysical conceit and how is it used in Donne's poem 'The Flea'?

A metaphysical conceit is an idea that takes dissimilar images to make a philosophical point. In Donne's poem 'The Flea', the speaker uses the bite of a flea to construct an argument against a woman's resistance to his romantic advances.

What is the structure and rhyme scheme of the poem 'The Sun Rising'?

The poem 'The Sun Rising' consists of three stanzas with 10 lines each. The rhyme scheme can be tricky, but it reflects the metaphysical poets' preference for less rigid structures compared to their Elizabethan predecessors.

How does the speaker in 'The Sun Rising' address the sun and what is the significance of this?

The speaker addresses the sun using apostrophe, a literary device where a non-human item is directly addressed. The sun is referred to with disdain, as a 'busy old fool' and a 'saucy pedantic wretch', challenging its role as the dictator of time for the lovers.

What is the theme of love presented in 'The Sun Rising'?

The theme of love in 'The Sun Rising' is one of defiance against time and societal norms. The lovers believe they are free to love as they wish, without being bound by the sun's rising and setting or by man-made constructs of time.

How does the speaker in 'The Sun Rising' use hyperbole and alliteration to convey the message?

The speaker uses hyperbole to exaggerate the importance of the lovers' union, suggesting they are the center of the universe, and alliteration to evoke a gentle task of warming the world, thus flipping the roles and making the sun seem less significant.

What is the tradition of love poems or songs referred to in the script called and how might it relate to 'The Sun Rising'?

The tradition referred to is called 'Aubades', love poems or songs sung by lovers who have to separate at dawn, often indicating illicit affairs. The script suggests that readers can decide whether 'The Sun Rising' could be considered an Aubade.