Love in "The Sun Rising" is immediate and romantic; remember, he is writing this just as he is waking up with his beloved. It's also the sort of love that makes you feel invincible, like you could throw down with an MMA champ or the Hulk. After all, we're talking about the kind of love that makes the speaker feel like he can pick a fight with the sun. The dude literally thinks that he and his lover are the center of the universe.
Questions About Love
- In the first stanza, how does the speaker show that he believes himself superior to others because of his love?
- What are some of the ridiculous claims about love that the speaker makes?
- Much of the imagery in the second stanza has to do with sight and seeing. What might that tell us about the sort of love the speaker has?
- What do you think of the speaker's claim in the final stanza? What does that tell you about how his love has affected him?
- Do you think it's okay to be boastful about love?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The speaker's brazen attitude about his love shows that it is a feverish, immature sort of love.
The speaker has allowed love to shut off his ability to see anything else in the world. That might sound romantic, but it's not a sustainable way to live.