JC
The sun!! You’ll have noticed it up there in the sky. What do we know about it? Let’s have a think, then use our knowledge to deepen our understanding of our favourite songs and our English A-Level texts.
ACTIVITY 1
Watch the video…
Here are some of the things we’re told about the sun in the video:
- centre of our solar system
- fiery
- strong gravitational pull
- multi-layered
- hot!
- releases so much energy
- provides light
- largest object in our solar system
- without the sun all kinds of other entities would drift off
- finite
- gives life!
ACTIVITY 2
What do you think sunsets might symbolise?
Maybe you suggested…
- Endings or closure: a sunset marks the end of the day, so it can represent the close of a chapter, relationship, or life stage.
- Transition and change: neither fully day nor night—often used to show that change is happening or is about to. Can represent a turning point, such as the shift from youth to maturity.
- Peace and reflection: the calm and beauty of a sunset often evoke feelings of tranquility, acceptance, or wisdom. It’s a time of stillness, prompting introspection and appreciation
- Beauty in impermanence: because sunsets are fleeting, they remind us that beautiful moments don’t last forever. There’s a bittersweet quality to them—both beautiful and sad.
- Romance and emotion: sunsets are a classic romantic backdrop, often symbolizing love, passion, or emotional vulnerability. Absolutely — sunsets can carry many nuanced meanings depending on the context, culture, or emotional tone.
- Duality and balance: the sunset bridges light and darkness, symbolizing the harmony of opposites—joy and sorrow, hope and melancholy, beginnings and endings. It can suggest accepting the full spectrum of life rather than resisting change.
- Letting go: just as the sun lets go of the sky, sunset can represent release—of pain, regrets, illusions, or control. It may signal surrender, not in defeat, but in peace.
- The journey’s pause, not the end: symbolises a resting point in a larger journey. The sun will rise again, so it’s a cyclical pause, not a final goodbye. Often used in stories to signal a temporary stop, a time for reflection before moving forward.
- Spiritual significance: in many spiritual traditions, sunset marks a time for prayer, meditation, or sacred awareness. It can symbolize the soul’s journey, the eternal rhythm of life and death, or the divine presence in nature.
ACTIVITY 3
Watch the 6 video clips and then discuss the sun/sunset motif employed in each key lyric (highlighted in orange). What is the sun/sunset image suggestive of in each case? What does that image help us understand about the message or feelings each singer is trying to convey? Or about the situation they are in? Think back to the ideas already discussed.
Video 1: Gracie Abrams, ‘I Love You I’m Sorry’
“I’ll have a drink, wistfully lean out my window and watch the sun set on the lake”
Video 2: YUNGBLUD, ‘Anarchist’
“I’ve never seen a morning sun come up”
Video 3: mgk, ‘miss sunshine’
“Hey, Miss Sunshine”
Video 4: Years & Years, ‘Starstruck’
“We can dream until the sun.”
Video 5: All Time Low, ‘Good Times’
“I never want to leave this sunset town.”
Video 6: mgk, ‘vampire diaries’
“The sun comes out and I can’t do nothing at all.”
ACTIVITY 4
Apply today’s thinking when analysing your course authors’ use of sun and sunset imagery! Aim to use the most interesting and original ideas explored above – the ideas you think others might not have considered. Maybe do some more reading about the sun – particularly in relation to how it was understood at the time your author was writing. You will find even more exciting things to say! And our A* students are always the ones who write with that sense of excitement, energy and originality!
Next, do some of your own creative writing with YUNGBLUD. Why not try making use of the sun motif yourself!