The Sun Rising

Poetry | John Donne
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Why and How Does the Poet Rebuke the Sun in the Poem “The Sun Rising”?

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Why and how does the poet rebuke the sun in the poem “The Sun Rising”? 

“The Sun Rising” is a famous love poem by John Donne (1572-1631), published in his 1633 collection Songs and Sonnets. In this poem, Donne rebukes the sun to express his deep love for his beloved.

At the beginning of the poem, the poet rebukes the sun for disturbing him and his beloved early in the morning in their bedroom. The poet scolds,

“Busy old fool, unruly sun”

The poet does not want the sun to disturb him and his beloved as they enjoy their moment. He tells it to go away. He says that they can enjoy their time whenever they want. They do not have to follow the sun or maintain a routine. He also says that their love does not care about t
ime or season. So, the foolish sun can go and shine elsewhere.

Furthermore, the speaker threatens the sun by saying he can eclipse it by merely closing his eyes. But he won’t do that, because he does not want to stop looking at his darling even for a second. Even his beloved’s eyes can eclipse the sun, because they are so bright and beautiful. As he writes:

“I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink”

As the poem progresses, the poet informs the sun that he and his beloved feel complete in each other. They create a whole world in their bedroom, and they do not need anything else.

In short, the poet rebukes the sun by calling it an old fool. He does this to express his deep love for his beloved. He also threatens to eclipse the sun by closing his eyes. Thus, the poem reveals the depth and importance of love by rebuking the sun. 

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John Donne
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from The Sun Rising