The Sun Rising

In this poem, John Donne tells the Sun that the intimate world of lovers transcends the world around them. Since the poet is speaking directly to the sun throughout the poem, this is an effective use of personification to convey how everything in the world pales in comparison to one's beloved.

While in the first stanza, the poet tells the Sun that love is not affected by seasons nor climate nor time, in the second stanza he tells him the lovers' world has all the treasures in the world. He uses the spices and mines of India and the West Indies as symbols for treasure and delight. He then says that even kings would much rather be a part of the lovers' intimate scene.

In the last stanza, the poet uses a metaphor to compare his beloved to the states and himself to princes. He sugests that the princes of the world can only pretend to have a harmony like theirs. He uses another metaphor to say that only their honor and wealth are real; others' are but mimicry and alchemy.

He concludes by saying that the sun, being alone can only be half as happy as they are. He says that the sun, advanced in age must desire rest and since his job is to warm the world, all he needs to do is shine upon the two lovers. He displaces the entire world with that of his and his beloved. In the poet's mind, there is no world but the moment he shares with his loved one. He uses a metaphor to label their bed the center, and the walls of their room, the sphere of the world.