IEB Poetry 2023 : 'The Sun Rising' by John Donne
Summary
TLDRThis 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
- ๐ John Donne's life was marked by living through the reigns of three monarchs and his struggle as a Catholic in Protestant England.
- ๐ Despite attending Oxford and Cambridge, Donne could not receive a degree due to religious persecution against Catholics.
- ๐ Donne's diverse career included roles as a soldier, lawyer, diplomat, and member of Parliament, which influenced his poetry.
- ๐ Donne's conversion to Anglicanism led to his appointment as Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, where he became a renowned preacher.
- ๐ Metaphysical poetry, which Donne was a part of, is characterized by its use of wit, paradoxes, and secular and religious imagery.
- ๐ฌ The conversational style of metaphysical poetry contrasts with the rigid structure of Elizabethan-era writing.
- ๐ง Metaphysical conceits are arguments that use illogical logic to make a philosophical point, often through wordplay and paradox.
- ๐ 'The Sun Rising' is an example of an apostrophe, where the speaker addresses a non-human entity, in this case, the Sun.
- ๐ฅ The poem uses the Sun as a symbol of time and challenges its power over the lovers' experience, asserting the primacy of their love.
- ๐ The poem's structure and rhyme scheme reflect the metaphysical poets' rejection of strict Elizabethan forms.
- ๐ 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.
Outlines
๐ John Dunn's Life and Metaphysical Poetry
This paragraph introduces John Dunn's life story, his education at Oxford and Cambridge, and the challenges he faced as a Catholic in Protestant England. It discusses his diverse career and his conversion to Anglicanism, which led to his appointment as Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral. The paragraph also explains the characteristics of metaphysical poetry, including its conversational style, use of paradoxes and puns, and the concept of a 'metaphysical conceit.' The video script prepares viewers for an analysis of Dunn's poem 'The Sun Rising,' highlighting the poem's structure and rhyme scheme, and the historical context of English pronunciation affecting the poem's half rhymes.
๐ The Sun's Interruption and the Power of Love
The second paragraph delves into the poem's apostrophe, where the speaker addresses the sun, accusing it of being disrespectful by interrupting the lovers' time together. The sun is personified as a busy, old fool and a saucy, pedantic wretch. The speaker challenges the sun's authority over time, asserting that love is not bound by seasons or the sun's movements. The paragraph discusses the social positions of those the sun should instead wake up, such as schoolboys, apprentices, huntsmen, and peasants, emphasizing the lovers' belief in their independence from societal norms and time constraints.
๐ The Sun's Dimming and the Superiority of the Lover's Beauty
In this paragraph, the speaker continues to challenge the sun, questioning its power and sacredness. The use of rhetorical questions and cheeky taunts is highlighted, as the speaker demonstrates how easily he can defy the sun by simply closing his eyes, creating his own eclipse. The speaker then invites the sun to observe the lovers, suggesting that the natural beauty of the world pales in comparison to his lover's beauty. The paragraph discusses the conceit of the poem, where the lovers are presented as more precious than spices, gold, and even kings, emphasizing the transformative power of love to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.
๐ The World Contracted to a Room; The Sun's New Role
The final paragraph of the script discusses the third stanza of the poem, where the speaker suggests that the world has been contracted to the size of their room, making it easier for the sun to warm the world. The speaker uses hyperbole and alliteration to convey the message that the lovers are the new center of the universe, with the sun now seen as a mere human who has interrupted them. The paragraph also touches on the tradition of love poems sung by lovers parting at dawn, known as 'oads,' and invites viewers to consider whether Dunn's poem fits this tradition. The script concludes with a note on the emotional shifts throughout the poem and well-wishes for the viewers' exams.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กMetaphysical Poetry
๐กApostrophe
๐กConceit
๐กCatholic
๐กAnglican Church
๐กRhyme Scheme
๐กHalf Rhymes
๐กParadox
๐กAlliteration
๐กOde
๐กAlchemy
Highlights
John Dunne's poem 'The Sun Rising' is a revision for the IEB curriculum, particularly for a metric class.
Donne's life spanned across three monarchs: Queen Elizabeth I, King James, and King Charles I.
As a Catholic, Donne was barred from obtaining a degree despite studying at Oxford and Cambridge.
Donne held various roles, including soldier, lawyer, diplomat, and Member of Parliament.
He became Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral and a notable preacher under King James.
Donne's poetry is marked by religious and secular imagery, influenced by his diverse life experiences.
Metaphysical poetry, including Donne's, is characterized by its conversational style and use of paradoxes and puns.
Metaphysical conceits are philosophical points made through dissimilar images.
The poem 'The Flea' exemplifies Donne's use of metaphysical conceits.
The film 'Wit' by Margaret Edson explores metaphysical poetry and John Donne's work.
The poem 'The Sun Rising' is structured in three stanzas with a complex rhyme scheme.
The poem uses apostrophe to address the Sun, treating it as a non-human entity.
The speaker in the poem challenges the Sun, asserting the lovers' independence from its influence.
The poem employs hyperbole and alliteration to emphasize the lovers' supremacy over the Sun.
Donne's use of wit and illogical logic is a hallmark of metaphysical poetry.
The poem suggests a tradition of love songs sung at dawn, often associated with illicit affairs.
The poem concludes with a conciliatory tone, suggesting a reevaluation of the Sun's role.
Good luck wishes for the final examinations are extended to the viewers.
Transcripts
this video is revision for John Dunn's
poem the sun rising as preparation for
the final examinations of the ieb
curriculum but specifically this video
is for Cullen in my current metrick
class John dun's life story is
fascinating his lifespan saw three
monarchs Queen Elizabeth I King James
and King Charles
i d was a bright young man he gained
entry to both Oxford and Cambridge
universities however he was a Catholic
in a time when Catholics were persecuted
in England and this meant that he could
study at these prestigious universities
but he couldn't get a degree from either
of them dun studied a wide variety of
subjects including Theology and he held
a number of jobs including those of
soldier lawyer Diplomat and even a
member of Parliament
during the reign of King James this is
the King James of the King James version
of the Bible dun swapped his Catholic
beliefs for those of the Anglican
Church he was appointed as dean of St
Paul's Cathedral in London where he
became a noted speaker and attracted
large crowds to listen to his
sermons now his poetry is characterized
by both religious and secular imagery
dra from his diverse life
experiences in fact his writing was so
admired that his work was used as a
model by a group of poets who became
known as the metaphysical
poets what exactly is metaphysical
poetry the subject matter is usually to
do with the nature of
reality it was a reaction against the
rigid writings and poetry of the
Elizabeth an era you'll note that dun's
writing is quite
conversational using the diction and
rhythms of normal speech patterns of the
time this conversational easy style
appears to be at odds with the
content the writing is deliberately
provocative it uses outrageous logic and
wit usually by means of clever paradoxes
and puns the content is often written in
the form of an argument
one of the best known examples of this
is dun's poem The flee in which the
speaker uses the bite of a flea to
construct an argument against a woman's
resistance to his romantic
advances this formulation of thought or
argument is what is known as a
metaphysical
conceit these conceits are simply ideas
that take dissimilar images to make a
philosophical
point pause the video here to read these
lines from the poem and I'm sure you'll
agree that it is illogically
logical when we study these poems it's
initially challenging as readers often
struggle to see the link the connection
between the images and the points made
by the
poet if you're intrigued by this manner
of writing I encourage you to watch the
film version of the pulit a prizewinning
play wit by Margaret Edson starring Emma
Thompson Thompson plays the role of an
English Professor who specializes in the
works of John Dunn and the play covers
her battle against terminal cancer and
her final understanding of the conceit
the wit in D sonnet death be not proud
and the semi colon in the title is
deliberate as a reference to the
discussion surrounding the use of
punctuation in the final line of that
sonnet right let's get into the poem
itself always look at a poem's structure
on the page before you start analyzing
it you'll immediately see here that the
poem consists of three stanzas with 10
lines in each
stanza the rhyme scheme can be quite
tricky too but knowing that metaphysical
poets like Dunn didn't want to write in
the strict the rigid structure of their
Elizabethan predecessors makes it a
little bit
easier also bear in mind that English
pronunciation has changed over the
centuries and words like this and thus
were quite similar to the ear in Dan's
time and this would account for the half
Rhymes that we encounter in this
poem the poem is an example of
apostrophe no not a reference to the
punctuation mark in this context
apostrophe occurs when a non-human item
is addressed by the speaker here the
speaker is addressing the
sun when the poem was written the sun
was regarded as the Monarch the king of
the sky the first line which directly
addresses the son appears to be
disrespectful even scornful
the speaker uses disparaging words busy
old fool in line one and Saucy pedantic
wretch in line
five says that the son has had the cheek
to interrupt the speaker and his lover
interrupting whatever they were doing in
other words the sun has dared to shine
Through the Windows disturbing the PE
where they are lying together in bed and
this is the question that's posed in
lines 1 2 3 and again in line four where
the speaker challenges the sun asking
whether the lovers must be dictated to
by the rising and setting of the sun
must lovers Seasons run according to the
Motions or movement of the Sun and
you'll see the diction is bold and
Direct in terms of meaning someone who
is Saucy is usually mischievous cheeky
often with a sexual
connotation if you're pedantic you're
overly concerned with rules and
regulations the speaker is accusing the
son of rising on time every morning
instead of allowing the lovers a few
extra
moments a wret is a person you wouldn't
listen to someone who's
contemptible the speaker then tells the
son to go and chide other people in
other words he instructs the son to wake
up other
people now take note of the social
position of these other folk they're all
in a position of
subordination school boys who are led to
school sound familiar
anyone apprentices who are sour or
unenthusiastic about their
work Huntsmen who have to accompany the
King on Horseback when he feels like
hunting Ing and Country ants rural
workers who have to harvest crops and
deliver them to
offices the speaker is telling the son
that the son isn't as important as he
thinks he is that he should rather serve
others just as school boys apprentices
Huntsmen and peasants serve
others the the last two lines of the
stanza underline the speaker's reasoning
he states that love is not beholden to
any
timetable it doesn't know any Seasons or
climates that
change it's not tied to a clock or a
calendar that would Mark the passing of
hours days or
months the use of the phrase Rags of
time further emphasizes the scorn that
the speaker directs to the sun Rags are
unwanted Tatty pieces of cloth they're
not useful for
anything these lovers have no need for
these man-made constructs of
time they feel that they are free to do
as they wish when they
wish the apostrophe continues in the
second stanza the speaker challenges the
son asking him whether he believes that
his sunbeams are sacred and
Powerful the use of the rhetorical
question is quite cheeky it's almost a
childish playground taunt you think
you're so strong don't
you in 913 the speaker uses wit to
illustrate how he can defy the Sun by
closing his eyes the sunlight is gone
just a wink will deny the son his power
do you see the clever use of the word
Eclipse when there's a solar eclipse the
Sun's light is dimmed by the shadow of
the Moon moving across our line of sight
between the Sun and the Earth the same
effect is achieved by the speaker when
he shuts his eyes he's able to block out
the
sunlight now this is typical of the
conceits of metaphysical poetry it's an
illogical
logic in line 14
the speaker alludes to the beauty and
attraction of his lover he says that he
would prefer to keep his eyes open as
closing them will mean that he won't be
able to see his
lady he continues with a taunting tone
saying that the lady is so beautiful
that even the sun would be blinded by
her
beauty you can see this in line 16 to 20
where the speaker is saying that the sun
can see the natural beauty around the
world but it won't compare with the
beauty of his lady love it's as though D
is saying that he and his lover can
outshine the
Sun from line 16 to 18 the conceit is
developed the son was told to leave but
now is invited to stare and observe the
lovers the speaker challenges the Sun
son to find anything more perfect more
beautiful than he and his lover he asks
the son to think of the precious things
that it has experienced such as both the
indas of spice and
mine this is a reference to the India of
the spice trade and to the gold mines in
the West Indies which accounts for the
reference to both
indias he is saying that everything
precious and scarce is right here in the
bedroom in lines 19 and 20 the speaker
states that everything and everyone that
is of importance is in fact lying in the
bed he and his lover are more precious
than spices and gold more important than
Kings this idea is continued in lines 21
and 22 in the third stanza the lady is
everything to the speaker more important
than all countries all royalty and all
leaders in lines 23 and 24 the speaker
suggests that these princes and leaders
play at being like the couple they
pretend they fake their happiness the
couple are the real deal they don't have
to mimic their happiness their wealth is
genuine they have been able to take
something ordinary and transform it into
something precious
this is the alchemy that is referred to
in line
24 in lines 25 to 28 the speaker
contends that the son should be as happy
as he is as he has contracted or
diminished the size of the world to one
room in fact to one
bed this will make it easier for the
Aged sun to fulfill its duties and warm
the world as the speakers in entire
world is present in this one room on
this
bed take note of the use of alliteration
here it evokes the gentle task of
warming the
world the form the center of the
universe it's as though this apostrophe
has flipped the roles the speaker and
his lover are the celestial bodies at
the center of the universe and the Sun
is just a human being who has
interrupted the
lovers remember that in dun's time
scientists and astronomers were still
arguing about the mechanics of the
universe and wondering what went around
what the sun has been relegated from its
position as a powerful Celestial body
it's now pied by the speaker as it is no
longer the center of the
world this metaphysical po makes great
use of hyperbole to convey its
message now in literature there's a
little known tradition of love poems or
songs that are sung by lovers who have
to separate at dawn in this tradition
the lovers are often adulterous having
illicit love affairs and the Rising Sun
is their sign that their night of fun is
over and these love songs are called
oads and you can decide whether you
think that this poem is an orad or not
is the speaker involved in an illicit
Affair what do you
think take note of the shifts in Emotion
throughout the poem it starts with
disdain in the beginning moves to a
challenge of the Sun and ends with a
sort of
conciliation that's another perem
revised I wish you all for your exams
good
luck
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