Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Memorizing 'The Sun Rising' by John Donne" by Billy Collins reflects on the process of internalizing a poem, capturing the transformation of a literary work from text on a page to a living, breathing part of one's inner landscape. Collins’s poem not only pays homage to John Donne's "The Sun Rising" but also delves into the intimate, often challenging journey of memorization, where the words of another become so deeply ingrained in us that they shape our perception and experience of the world.

The poem begins with an appreciation for Donne's audacity in addressing the sun, encapsulating the reader's joy in Donne's mastery of language and the defiance imbued within the verses. Collins’s description of pacing the carpet and repeating the words until they become part of him illustrates the physicality of memorization, transforming it from a passive to an active endeavor that engages the whole body.

However, Collins also acknowledges the ephemeral nature of this process—the way lines begin to fade as new ones are learned, mirroring the fading of sky-written letters. This imagery beautifully captures the frustration and transience inherent in trying to hold onto the words, emphasizing the struggle to keep the poem intact in memory.

The turning point comes when Collins steps outside, away from the confines of the room and into the natural world. It is only through walking around a hidden lake, physically moving through space, that "The Sun Rising" begins to coalesce and keep pace with him. This shift underscores the idea that memorization is not just a mental exercise but an embodied one, requiring not just the mind but the whole self.

Collins's conclusion, where he finds the entirety of Donne's poem condensed into "a little spot within," speaks to the profound transformation that occurs when we internalize a piece of literature. The poem, once external and separate, becomes an indelible part of the memorizer's inner world, a "contracted" essence that is both personal and universal.

Through "Memorizing 'The Sun Rising' by John Donne," Collins offers a meditation on the act of memorization as a form of intimacy with the text, where the memorizer and the poem enter into a symbiotic relationship. The poem becomes a companion, its words echoing in the mind and its essence shaping one's engagement with the world. Collins celebrates the enduring impact of literature on the human soul, highlighting the timeless connection between reader, writer, and the words that bridge their worlds.

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