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The Sun Rising
by John Donne

Busy old fool, unruly Sun,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains, call on us?
Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run?
Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide
Late school-boys and sour prentices,
Go tell court-huntsmen that the king will ride,
Call country ants to harvest offices;
Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,
Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
Thy beams so reverend, and strong
Why shouldst thou think?
I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink,
But that I would not lose her sight so long.
If her eyes have not blinded thine,
Look, and to-morrow late tell me, Whether both th' Indias of spice and mine
Be where thou left'st them, or lie here with me.
Ask for those kings whom thou saw'st yesterday,
And thou shalt hear, "All here in one bed lay."
She's all states, and all princes I;
Nothing else is;
Princes do but play us ; compared to this,
All honour's mimic, all wealth alchemy.
Thou, Sun, art half as happy as we, In that the world's contracted thus;
Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be
To warm the world, that's done in warming us.
Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere;
This bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere.

"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool."- William Shakespeare

5 comments:

Spencer Pratt could use some John Donne in his life.

I could use some Green Tea. Good idea woman. :)

May 12, 2009 at 5:27 PM  

Yes he could and alot of other things but we'll start small.

I know Green Tea is the best beverage ever!

May 13, 2009 at 9:09 AM  

A happier poem... :)

I like John Donne - perhaps only because his english isn't as arcane and hard to read as some of the other poets you post.

Still, the meaning of this poem could be wide open for interpretation but it speaks of love of a Prince for his lady love (for me, anyway) and how love comes (and goes) on its own biding.

:) Someday your ship will come in.

May 14, 2009 at 7:47 AM  

Am I a poetry debbie downer?

To me it is about how your season(or point of beauty and love)fade. And even after the prince is not there his spirit still remains...I suppose I do put a sad spin on everything. I should really stop it.

Yeah I'm keeping a weather eye on the horizon.
=)

May 14, 2009 at 8:04 AM  

Oh wow...I like John Donne too!!! and this lines are...oh my...I'll end up quoting them at facebook, lol.. "Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,
Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time."

May 14, 2009 at 10:08 AM  

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