15+ Significant Sunrise Poems

(15 to start, 20+ to explore)

Poems about sunrises embrace the enchanting moment when the first rays of the sun grace the horizon, heralding the beginning of a new day.

These verses often describe the sky’s transformation from darkness to a palette of gentle hues, with soft pinks, purples, and oranges painting the canvas of the heavens. Poets use interesting and memorable language to capture the renewal and hope that sunrises can bring, symbolizing the promise of a fresh start and the opportunity for growth and change.

These poems may also evoke serenity and inspiration as nature awakens and the world is bathed in the gentle light of dawn.

Poems about Sunrises Visual Representation

Poem Explorer Poetry Archives

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Matins [Not the sun merely]

by Louise Glück

‘Matins [Not the sun merely]’ by Louise Glück wonders if god, like humanity, experiences the reverential delight of nature’s splendor.

Another important topic covered in the poem is the phenomenon of sunrises. All of her 'Matins' poems take place in the morning, unlike 'Vespers' which all occur in the evening at sunset, and as a result, tend to be more hopeful and far less critical of the god-like figure they converse with. Glück's poem touches on the powerful ways the dawn can move both humanity and the divine with its beauty.

Not the sun merely but the earth

itself shines, white fire

leaping from the showy mountains

and the flat road

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The Road

by Nancy Fotheringham Cato

‘The Road’ is simultaneously a thrilling car journey at night and a deeply personal mediation on time, humanity and the natural world.

Nancy Fotheringham Cato's poem uses the age old symbol of the rising sun to evoke the fact that this journey is not just a physical one but also a figurative one. The rising sun is positioned to the front of the car, leaving the darkness in its wake. The poet thus implies that the narrator's best days are ahead, not behind them.

I made the rising moon go back
behind the shouldering hill,
I raced along the eastern track
till time itself stood still.

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A Day (I’ll Tell You How The Sun Rose)

by Emily Dickinson

‘A Day’ by Emily Dickinson is a lyrical poem describing sunrise and sunset. In a metaphysical sense, it also portrays the beauty of life and the uncertainty of death.

The poem's opening line is an assertive comment on the rising of the sun, typically used to represent new life and new beginnings. The positive connotations of sunrises are matched by the speaker's confidence in this stanza. However, the sunrise if fleeting and this is reflected in the speaker's wavering sense of certainty.

I’ll tell you how the sun rose, —

A ribbon at a time.

The steeples swam in amethyst,

The news like squirrels ran.

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California Dreaming

by Charles Wright

‘California Dreaming’ by Charles Wright, written in 1983, is a poem about Wright’s departure from Laguna Beach, CA, where he lived for six years. In ‘California Dreaming,’ the poet-speaker describes how Californians are similar to another evolution of people from the East.

In 'California Dreaming,' the poet prefers the morning light that filters in from the east. While the poet may be a morning person, it is more likely that the morning sun represents his home back in the Eastern USA to the poet. As such, Wright is always looking back to his point of origin, even on the West coast.

We are not born yet, and everything’s crystal under our feet.

We are not brethren, we are not underlings.

We are another nation,

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The Horses

by Ted Hughes

Ted Hughes’ ‘The Horses’ captures a serene dawn, where ten still horses symbolize nature’s quiet power amidst the changing light.

The poem captures the moment when night turns into day, with the sun slowly rising and changing everything. The frost-covered ground, the cold air, and the shadows all begin to shift as the light spreads. The poet watches this transformation, and even though the horses remain still, the world around them starts to move. The sunrise does not just bring light, it brings a sense of something new.

I climbed through woods in the hour-before-dawn dark.
Evil air, a frost-making stillness,

Not a leaf, not a bird,—
A world cast in frost. I came out above the wood

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Ode to Hope

by Pablo Neruda

‘Ode to Hope’ by Pablo Neruda is a short poem which uses the image of the sun rising over the sea to relate a message of hope.

'Ode to Hope,' without using the word "sunrise," paints a picture of the sun rising over the sea throughout the poem. It first hints at the sunrise from the first line and its mention of dawn, then it goes ahead to mention "orange earth" and similar phrases with the same mental image. This image is used to imply new beginnings and hence a symbol of hope.

Oceanic dawn

at the center

of my life,

waves like grapes,

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Matins [The sun shines; by the mailbox, leaves]

by Louise Glück

‘Matins [The sun shines; by the mailbox, leaves]’ by Louise Glück is a poignant poem that perceives nature as a balm for depression.

Most of the 'Matins' poems occur at dawn, a moment of daily renewal with the power to stir hope in those who see its glory. For the speaker, the rising of the sun shines a light on the natural world they rely on for their mental health.

The sun shines; by the mailbox, leaves

of the divided birch tree folded, pleated like fins.

Underneath, hollow stems of the white daffodils, Ice Wings, Cantatrice; dark

leaves of the wild violet. Noah says

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Love Cycle

by Chinua Achebe

‘Love Cycle’ by Chinua Achebe describes sunrise, sunset, and their effects on Earth using the metaphor of a barely functioning couple.

Sunrises in the poem symbolize renewal, hope, and the beginning of a new cycle. They mark the start of a new day and reflect the constant possibility of a fresh start in relationships, emphasizing the resilience and continuity of love.

At dawn slowly

the sun withdraws his

long misty arms of

embrace. Happy lovers

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Rise and Shine

by Gabriel Okara

‘Rise and Shine’ by Gabriel Okara is a poem that gives praise to god as the poet feels his love in the world around him.

The idea of sunrises is used as a way for the poet to explain how he thinks people should approach the day. While he doesn't mention sunrises specifically, he seems to be referring to the ideas of sunrises at the start of the day.

Rise and Shine, O shine

like resplendent morning, sun;

Open our hearts, our yearning hearts

and receive the healing blessings

#10

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My Arkansas

by Maya Angelou

‘My Arkansas’ by Maya Angelou unveils a state’s history with vivid imagery, exploring resilience and transformation amid historical burdens.

This poem subtly tackles the topic of sunrises by describing Arkansas with sunrise hesitation. The imagery suggests a momentary pause in the sun's ascent, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty. This subtle portrayal aligns with the broader theme of transformation, where even the natural elements, like the sunrise, hesitate in the face of change, contributing to the poem's nuanced exploration of identity and societal shifts.

There is a deep brooding

In Arkansas.

Old crimes like moss pend

From poplar trees.

#11

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Morbidity

by Gabriel Okara

‘Morbidity’ by Gabriel Okara sees the poet observing the outside world and contrasting it with the depression which he is currently feeling.

The sunrise is only mentioned briefly in this poem but it is an important representation of rebirth and renewal, and the poet's own relationship with these feelings. While the sunrise should be something full of joy, the poet cannot feel any connection to it.