Editor's note
Ranking is generated by Storgy's classification model, which scores each poem's thematic depth on this subject relative to the rest of the corpus. The list is re-indexed weekly as new poems enter the public-domain corpus.
Best poems about — Storgy
Sun.
Twenty-five poems, ranked.
25 of the finest public-domain poems about sun, ranked by thematic depth. Scored by Storgy's classification model against the rest of the corpus, and re-indexed weekly as new works enter the canon.
The leading three
01
The Sun Rising
John Donne · 1633
“A man wakes up beside the woman he loves and feels irritated by the sunlight streaming through the curtains, disrupting their moment. He insists that love is so…”
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02
Helios
H. D. · 1924
“H. D.'s "Helios" explores the sun god as a dual force—capable of both nurturing life and causing destruction. He can reduce crops to ashes one moment and bring…”
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03
Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun
Walt Whitman
“Whitman begins by yearning for peace — sunlight, orchards, calm nights, and a simple rural existence — but soon realizes he’s too entwined with the city to walk…”
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The complete index
- 04
Hymn of Apollo
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, light, music, and prophecy, shares his daily journey across the sky and the immense power he wields over the world. He describes waking at dawn, p…
- 05
Sonnet 33
William Shakespeare
A speaker recounts witnessing the sun rise spectacularly over mountains and meadows, only to be engulfed by clouds. He then confesses that he just experienced the same with someone…
- 06
Sunflower Sutra
Allen Ginsberg
A dirty sunflower found next to a railroad track becomes the heart of a vision about human dignity and the beauty hidden beneath industrial grime. Ginsberg and his friend Jack Kero…
- 07
Sunrise on the Hills
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A speaker stands on a hilltop at sunrise, taking in the breathtaking view of the landscape below — vibrant valleys, flowing rivers, hazy forests, and the sounds of bells and wildli…
- 08
The Sunlight on the Garden
Louis MacNeice
A brief lyric from the late 1930s, "The Sunlight on the Garden" reflects Louis MacNeice's thoughts on how fleeting beautiful moments are and how they can never be fully grasped. Ea…
- 09
A Day of Sunshine
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A sunny day brings such joy that the speaker can hardly hold back — he isn't focused on any tasks, just wanting to be present and enjoy every moment. Nature turns into a complete s…
- 10
Sunlight and Sea
Alfred Noyes · 1907
A speaker stands at the shore and proclaims that sunlight and sea are all the heaven he requires. He describes sunlight as a cheerful, dancing friend and the sea as a powerful forc…
- 11
Mid-Day
H. D. · 1916
A speaker standing in the scorching midday sun feels utterly overwhelmed—her thoughts are scattered and worn out, like dried seeds tossed off their stalks. She glances up and spots…
- 12
Evadne
H. D. · 1921
In this poem, Evadne reflects on the love she shared with Apollo, the Greek god of light. She vividly recalls the physical sensations from that encounter — his hair, his mouth, his…
- 13
Lines for a Sun-Dial
Alfred Noyes · 1922
A sun-dial has its own way of communicating, sharing that its shadow-hand is continuously writing a subtle, hopeful message about light and time. This brief poem is rich in meaning…
- 14
Ah Sunflower
William Blake
A sunflower spends its entire life turning to follow the sun, and Blake uses this imagery to discuss people who spend their lives pursuing something just out of reach. The "Youth"…
- 15
Apollo Stands Beside Him
Percy Bysshe Shelley
This dialogue features Apollo, the god of the sun and poetry, conversing with Ocean in Act III of Shelley's verse drama *Prometheus Unbound*. They’re celebrating the downfall of Ju…
- 16
Ariel
Sylvia Plath
Written in the final months of Sylvia Plath's life, "Ariel" captures a pre-dawn horse ride that evolves into a thrilling and frightening rush toward the rising sun. The speaker she…
- 17
Hymn to Apollo
Horace
This poem pays homage to Apollo, the god of poetry, music, and light. Horace explores Apollo's influence by referencing well-known myths, such as the punishment of Niobe and the de…
- 18
July
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
July is a brief dramatic monologue where the month of July speaks for itself, detailing the intense heat and strength it brings to the land. Longfellow gives July the voice of a co…
- 19
Sundown
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
As the sun dips below the horizon on a summer evening, Longfellow reflects on the waning light and ponders what the day has given and taken. He views the sunset as an official mark…
- 20
Sun-Worship
James Russell Lowell
A brief, charming poem where the speaker envisions themselves as a rosebush outside their loved one's window. Each flower would lean toward the room, drawn to the true light that r…
- 21
The Sunset
Percy Bysshe Shelley
A young man, madly in love, tells his partner he’s never seen the sun and vows they’ll watch it together the next day—but he dies that night, leaving her alive yet consumed by grie…
- 22
To Apollo and Diana
Horace
This is Horace's "Carmen Saeculare" (Secular Hymn), a significant public prayer sung by a choir of Roman boys and girls during the Secular Games in 17 BCE. It calls on the gods Apo…
- 23
The New Morning
Alfred Noyes · 1918
Alfred Noyes's "The New Morning" welcomes a new day as a time for renewal and quiet awe, inspired by nature — light, birdsong, dew — to convey that every dawn brings the promise of…
- 24
Memories of the Pacific Coast
Alfred Noyes · 1922
Alfred Noyes paints a vivid picture of a sun-soaked coastal paradise along the Pacific, brimming with warmth, color, and tranquility. However, just as the speaker believes he has d…
- 25
The Realms of Gold
Alfred Noyes · 1922
Alfred Noyes envisions an alternate reality where the dying Romantic poet John Keats reaches the sun-kissed shores of Southern California instead of succumbing in Rome. The poem pa…
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