The Sun Rising

Question 1

Busy old fool

Answer 1

Busy old fool, unruly sun
Why dost thou thus
Through windows, and through curtains, call on us?

Dismissive, mocking of the sun
unruly - ironic as sun controls time
Accusatory tone
Personification of sun

Question 2

Saucy pedantic

Answer 2

Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide
Late school boys and sour prentices,

Imperative
Insulting the sun
Reducing it to waking up school boys

Question 3

Love, all alike

Answer 3

Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,
Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.

Question 4

Thy beams

Answer 4

Thy beams, so reverend and strong
Why shouldst thou think?

acknowledges the suns strength, yet then downplays it in next line

Question 5

I coul eclipse

Answer 5

I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink,
But that I would not lose her sight so long;

Question 6

Whether both th’

Answer 6

Whether both Indias of spice and mine
Be where thou lefst them, or lie here with me

His lover is equal to the wealth of the world
His love is the centre of the world

Question 7

Ask for those kings

Answer 7

Ask for those kings whom you saw’st yesterday,
And thou shalt hear, All here in one bed lay

His lover is equal to all the rulers of the world

Question 8

She’s all states

Answer 8

She’s all states, and all princes, I,
Nothing else is.

Love is everything - monarchical imagery displays its power

Question 9

Shine here

Answer 9

Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere;
This bed thy centre is, these walls. they sphere.

Question 10

Precis

Answer 10

The Sun Rising is written in 3 stanzas of 10 lines each. It is an apostrophe, with Donne scolding the sun for interrupting his love and asserting love’s supremacy in the world.