Inside: 17 poems that convey the beauty of the sun and the life it bestows in sun poems.
People have always been fascinated by the sun. Some cultures even worship it. The sun gives us light, warmth, and most importantly – life.
We depend on the sun for everything, so it comes as no surprise that it has been the main character of many poems over the decades. It’s beauty and power is truly something to revel at. Many poets felt the same way and included this incredible force of nature into their works.
These sun poems all celebrate the star’s might and influence on human life.
Whether it is waking us up in the morning, giving life to everything around us, or radiating happiness through the warm feeling it leaves on our skin, the sun reminds us that the cold winter isn’t going to last forever. Many of these poems personify the sun as a character with the narrator speaking to it like an old friend.
In a way, it is.
Lovely Sunshine Poems
The sun holds many uplifting meanings, which are especially described through poetry. From new beginnings and new found hope to just plain, utter beauty that sparks joy in the heart.
1. O Sun of Real Peace by Walt Whitman – Written by one of America’s great poetry pioneers, Whitman celebrates the sun as well as the end of the American Civil War. The sun symbolizes new beginnings as well as a shining light of hope, which is similar to how the American people feel knowing that the war is over.
2. “There’s Nothing Like the Sun”
…That there is nothing, too, like March’s sun,
Like April’s, or July’s, or June’s, or May’s.
Or January’s, or February’s, great days:
August, September, October, and December
Have equal days, all different from November.
No day of any month but I have said—
Or, if I could live long enough, should say—
‘There’s nothing like the sun that shines today.’
There’s nothing like the sun till we are dead. —Edward Thomas
3. How Clear, How Lovely Bright by A. E. Housman – While this poem does not directly mention the sun, it is clear that it is still the centripetal focus of the work. Using beautiful imagery and context clues, we as readers understand that the narrator is describing the sun’s activity from rise to set.
4. Talk to the moon or even the sun,
Both will tell you,
It’s okay to disappear
When things don’t go right.
But it’s important to come back
And spread your light. —Shreya Maurya
5. “Why I Wake Early”
Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
And spread it over the fields
And into the faces of the tulips
And the nodding morning glories,
And into the windows of, even, the
Miserable and crotchety—…
…Watch, now, how I start the day
In happiness, in kindness. —Mary Oliver
Beautiful Poems About Sunshine
Sunrises and sunsets can evoke feelings in someone, feelings that are sometimes only explicable through poetry. The beautiful mixture of heavenly colors is visually inspiring and has often been written about beautifully.
6. The Sun by John Drinkwater – A short, yet sweet, poem about how the feeling of sunshine warming on your skin can make you feel incredibly happy.
7. A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky by Lewis Carroll – The author of Alice In Wonderland writes this poem, remembering the boat ride in which he told three little girls, one of them being Alice, the story of wonderland. The sun plays a role in this poem as well, as it is a core part of the memory.
8. “Summer Sun”
You wear the sun on your skin
Like a favorite summer dress,
So natural,
And flowing,
And free-
You own its hues as it begs
To kiss your cheek and
Envelop you slowly like thick,
Fresh honey.
You wear it so well, the touch
Of the sun,
Its golden voice mingling with
The sound of your laughter, and
Erasing all the trouble of the
World. —G. Boston
9. “I’ll tell you how the Sun rose”
I’ll tell you how the Sun rose –
A Ribbon at a time –
The Steeples swam in Amethyst –
The news, like Squirrels, ran –
The Hills untied their Bonnets –
The Bobolinks – begun –
Then I said softly to myself –
‘That must have been the Sun!’ —Emily Dickinson
Incredible Poems About The Sun
Using imagery, these sun poems really paint a magnificent picture of the sun rising, setting, or sitting prettily in the sky.
10. The Sun Rising by John Donne – The speaker of this poem is chastising the sun for disrupting his sleep, and time, with his lover in bed. That work, duty, and the natural way of life all come second to him staying in bed with his love all day.
11. The Campfire of the Sun by Bliss Carman – A beautiful poem about the sun setting, comparing it to a tired traveler setting up camp for the night.
12. “Summer Sun”
Great is the sun, and wide he goes
Through empty heaven without repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.
Though closer still the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through. —Robert Louis Stevenson
13. Southern Sunrise by Sylvia Plath – Plath uses incredibly gorgeous imagery to describe the colors and beauty of a sunrise over a sleepy Southern town.
Enchanting Sun Poems
The sun gives us so much, including being able to live. Many poems with the sun as the muse are expressing appreciation toward it and the beauty and warmth it shines upon us.
14. “God’s Gold”
God placed a gold mint in the sky—
Large and bright, a heaping store—
So earth can every day have more,
He keeps it high,
He scatters gold abroad at day
In shining beams; then far and near
Dandelions gold appear
Along the way.
This is God’s gold dropped from the skies,
He gives it lavishly to earth—
O take it, spend it, learn its worth—
All ye with eyes! —Annette Wynne
15. Dance of the Sunbeams by Bliss Carman – Using personification, Carman says that the sun’s beams are “dancers” that put on lovely performances and bow out once the sun sets with a fiery curtain.
16. Ode to the Sun by Eloise Bibb Thompson – This poem is expressing extreme gratitude and appreciation for all the wonderful things the sun has borne witness to.
17. The Sunlight on the Garden by Louis MacNeice – This poem is an attempt to “cage” a specific moment in time in which the sun is shining on a garden. MacNeice also expresses his gratitude for being able to experience a moment as blissful as watching the sun bask upon the garden.
More Poems You’ll Love
- 21 Unique Poems About the Moon and Stars – Similar to the sun, the moon and stars have been an object of fascination for centuries. Humans have attached meaning and ourselves to these celestial objects, and have written poetry to convey those meanings.
- 17 Delightful Peony Poems – Flowers are inherently beautiful and represent life and love. However, there is something that sets the peony apart from the rest. This flower inspired many works throughout history, so we put together a list of our favorite poems about it.
- 23 Poems About Confidence – If you’re ever feeling self-conscious or down on yourself, make sure to bookmark this list of poems! After reading through some of them, you will feel confidence start radiating inside of you.
