The Sun (Leaving Cert English): Revision Notes
The Sun
What the poem is about
"The Sun" by Benjamin Zephaniah presents a speaker who enthusiastically praises the British tabloid newspaper The Sun whilst revealing his personal beliefs. However, as the speaker talks, his views expose him to be deeply problematic - showing racist, misogynistic, nationalist, and gossip-obsessed attitudes.
The poem employs irony as its central technique. By allowing this unlikeable and unreliable voice to praise the newspaper, Zephaniah makes readers distrust both the speaker and the publication itself. The poem's power lies in letting the speaker condemn himself through his own words.
The effectiveness of this poem comes from its use of dramatic irony - where readers understand something that the speaker doesn't. The speaker genuinely believes he's praising the newspaper, but readers recognise he's actually exposing its harmful influence.
Background context
This poem was written as Zephaniah's response to The Sun newspaper printing details about his personal history, including his time in an approved school and prison during his youth. By calling the poem "The SUN," Zephaniah makes his critical opinion of the publication crystal clear - using the same sensationalist approach the tabloid is known for.
Speaker and voice
The speaker is a persona - a fictional character created by Zephaniah. This character comes across as:
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White, conservative, and male (suggested through lines like "women should cook" and "This government is the best we've had... I am friendly with the state")
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Bigoted: expressing racist views like "I believe the Blacks are bad," "black people rob," and "Jungle bunnies play tom-toms"
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Misogynistic: making sexist comments such as "Every Englishman loves tits / I love Page Three and other bits"
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Nationalist: showing extreme patriotism with "I believe Britain is great / And other countries imitate" whilst expressing xenophobic fears about "Russian spies"
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Self-absorbed: constantly using "I / me / we" throughout the poem
Crucially, the speaker doesn't realise how objectionable he sounds. This dramatic irony causes readers to turn against both his views and the newspaper he claims taught him these attitudes.
A persona in poetry is a fictional speaker or character created by the poet. It's important to distinguish between the poet's actual views and those of the persona they create. Zephaniah deliberately makes this persona unlikeable to criticise the attitudes the character represents.
Structure and progression
The poem follows a clear progression that reveals the speaker's mindset:
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Opens with extreme beliefs: "I believe the Blacks are bad / The Left is loony / God is Mad," followed by "women should cook"
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Shows political loyalty: "This government is the best we've had... I am friendly with the state"
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Reveals tabloid obsessions: "Every Englishman loves tits / I love Page Three and other bits"
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Expresses paranoid nationalism: Claims other countries imitate Britain whilst fearing "Russian spies"
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Admits preferring gossip over truth: "Don't give me truth, just give me gossip / And skeletons from people's closets"
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Shows celebrity obsession: "I really do love Princess Di," wondering if she reads The Sun too
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Shifts from opinion to absolute statements: Moving from "I believe" to "Every..." - "Every poet is a crook... Every hippie carries nits... Every Englishman loves tits"
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Ends with conformity: "I wanna be normal / And millions buy it / I am blinded by The SUN"
Worked Example: Tracking the Speaker's Progression
Notice how the speaker's language becomes more absolute as the poem progresses:
- Early: "I believe the Blacks are bad" (personal opinion)
- Middle: "Every Englishman loves tits" (generalised statement)
- End: "I am blinded by The SUN" (complete surrender to influence)
This progression shows how media consumption can lead from personal prejudice to unquestioning acceptance of ideology.
Key themes
Media influence and propaganda
The speaker explicitly states that the newspaper shapes his worldview - he is "blinded by The SUN". This demonstrates how tabloid media can influence public opinion and spread harmful ideologies.
Racism and sexism
The poem exposes crude stereotypes about Black people and women, showing how such prejudices can be normalised through media representation.
Nationalism and xenophobia
Britain is praised whilst foreigners are distrusted, reflecting the "us vs. them" mentality often promoted by tabloid newspapers.
Gossip culture versus truth
The speaker openly admits preferring scandal over facts: "Don't give me truth, just give me gossip". This highlights society's appetite for sensationalism over serious journalism.
Conformity and mass manipulation
The final lines reveal the speaker's desire to be "normal" and follow what "millions buy", showing how media can create false consensus.
Tone and effect
The poem's tone is satirical and ironic. Zephaniah allows the speaker to condemn himself through his own words, creating a powerful critique without directly attacking the newspaper.
This creates an interesting dynamic: whilst readers feel disgust and doubt about the speaker's views, he feels completely certain about them. This gap between the reader's reaction and the speaker's confidence is where the poem's power lies.
Language and techniques
Verbal irony
The act of praising the paper actually exposes its harmful influence - the compliments become criticisms.
Deliberate offensive language
Zephaniah includes genuinely toxic views to show how harmful such attitudes are when spread through media.
Colloquial language
Terms like "tits" and "wanna" match the tabloid's informal, populist tone.
Hyperbole and absolutes
Statements like "Every poet is a crook..." demonstrate closed-minded, simplistic thinking.
Repetition pattern
The shift from "I believe" to "Every..." shows the progression from personal opinion to dogmatic certainty.
Simple rhyme scheme
The nursery-rhyme feel suggests childish, unsophisticated thinking whilst making the content memorable.
Double meaning in final image
"Blinded by The SUN" works both literally (the newspaper) and metaphorically (the star), suggesting unquestioning belief.
The poem's use of deliberately offensive language serves a specific purpose - it's not meant to endorse these views but to expose how harmful they are. Zephaniah uses shock value to make readers confront the reality of prejudice spread through tabloid media.
Essential quotes for analysis
- "I believe the Blacks are bad / The Left is loony / God is Mad"
- "women should cook"
- "This government is the best we've had... I am friendly with the state"
- "Every Englishman loves tits / I love Page Three and other bits"
- "Don't give me truth, just give me gossip"
- "Every poet is a crook... Every hippie carries nits..."
- "I wanna be normal / And millions buy it / I am blinded by The SUN"
When analysing these quotes, always consider the context - these are the words of an unreliable narrator whose views we're meant to reject. The power comes from how obviously problematic these statements are, which reflects poorly on both the speaker and the newspaper that supposedly shaped his thinking.
Key Points to Remember:
- Irony is the key technique - the speaker's praise actually condemns both himself and the newspaper
- The persona is deliberately unlikeable - Zephaniah creates a character whose views we're meant to reject
- Media influence is the central theme - the poem warns about how tabloids can shape public opinion
- The progression matters - notice how the speaker moves from personal beliefs to absolute statements
- The final image is powerful - being "blinded by The SUN" suggests both literal newspaper reading and metaphorical loss of clear judgement