A Literary Analysis of John Donne's Love Poem Break of Day

The theme of John Donne's love poem "Break of Day" is lovers parting at dawn and the metaphorical comparison of the speaker's love to the elements of day and night. This poem assumes a feminine point of view which is revealed in its structure and thematical development.

The poem is constructed of three stanzas; each stanza contains six lines. The first stanza is written in the form of a dramatic monologue of four questions demanding confirmation if the speaker's lover is going to leave because day has come.The speaker questions the importance of time and conventions of love making as day rolls into night and night rolls into day. The second stanza is based on a personalification of light and how it affects the speaker's attitude towards his or her lover. It is also based on a condition that if light could see, things that were not initially apparent, would suddenly beocme clear. The third stanza concretely describes the daily activities associated with light such as business and work and how they negatively affect the attitude of the speaker.