The Sun Rising Flashcards
(20 cards)
Who is the author of ‘The Sun Rising’?
John Donne (1572-1631)
John Donne was born a Catholic and later became an Anglican priest.
What is a conceit in literature?
A type of figurative language that establishes a comparison between two very different concepts or objects
It often uses extended metaphor, multiple metaphors, juxtapositions, or similes.
What is the primary theme of ‘The Sun Rising’?
The authority of Love and Nature
The poem emphasizes the power of love over the constraints of time and societal expectations.
What does the speaker in ‘The Sun Rising’ address the sun as?
Busy old fool, unruly sun
The speaker reprimands the sun for interrupting their intimate moment.
What is the rhyme scheme of ‘The Sun Rising’?
ABAB CDCD EE
This pattern is consistent throughout the poem.
What literary device is used when the sun is treated as a person?
Personification
The sun is given human characteristics to enhance the poem’s theme.
What is the significance of the phrase ‘Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime’?
It suggests that love transcends time and place
The lovers prioritize their relationship over temporal concerns.
Fill in the blank: The poem is an example of an _______.
aubade
An aubade is a poem appropriate to the dawn or early morning.
What does the speaker argue about the sun’s power?
The speaker believes they have more power than the sun
They suggest that their love diminishes the sun’s importance.
What does the speaker mean by ‘Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be’?
The sun should find comfort in the lovers’ relationship, as they warm each other
The speaker implies that their love reduces the sun’s workload.
True or False: Donne’s libertine poems are believed to have been written during his law-student days.
True
Readers often associate his libertine poems with his earlier life.
What effect does enjambment create in the poem?
It enhances the flow and urgency of the speaker’s thoughts
This technique allows ideas to spill over from one line to the next.
What is the tone of the first stanza of ‘The Sun Rising’?
Teasing and boastful
The speaker playfully challenges the sun’s authority.
What imagery is used in the line ‘This bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere’?
It symbolizes the lovers’ relationship as the center of the universe
This imagery emphasizes the significance of their love.
What does the term ‘metaphysical poets’ refer to?
Poets known for complex intellectualism in their work
The term was coined by Samuel Johnson.
What two elements do poets blend in their thinking and poetry?
The physical and the metaphysical
This blending allows for exploration of deeper philosophical themes.
What is the purpose of using rhetorical questions in the poem?
To challenge the sun’s authority and emphasize the lovers’ perspective
Rhetorical questions provoke thought and engage the reader.
Fill in the blank: The lovers believe that everything powerful and of value in the world is embodied by his _______.
lover
The speaker elevates his beloved to a position of utmost importance.
What does the speaker wish to do with the sun’s light?
Eclipse and cloud it with a wink
This expresses the speaker’s confidence in their love’s power.
What is the effect of the repeated sound in assonance?
It creates musicality and enhances the poem’s rhythm
For example, the sound of /oo/ in ‘Busy old fool, unruly sun’.
