"A Visit from St. Nicholas" is always part of my Christmas holidays, whether I re-read the famous poem in a well-worn book or listen to a reading on an iPad or iPhone. After all these years, I can almost recite the poem by heart, although I do occasionally falter on the names of the reindeer.
The poem was first published in 1823 and is generally attributed to Clement Clark Moore. For this Christmas season, I thought it might be enjoyable to look through the poem to comment on some of the language used in the poem. After all, it was written 191 years ago! This version was taken from http://classiclit.about.com/
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
(Santa Claus would be a more common name nowadays.)
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
(I had always pictured sugar plums as a good sized piece of fruit covered with sugar. A quick Google search identified a sugar plum as a small round candy boiled in sugar.)
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
(I can't imagine sleeping with my head covered, but then I do live in the Desert Southwest with warmer winter weather.)
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.
(Hum. "Settled our brains" sounds very old-fashioned. Maybe just "settled down"or "settled in" would be more common now.)
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
(I love this image because it presents a window style from the past. In modern times, we would probably just raise a glass window.)
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
("Breast" has been substituted for by "crest"is some modern versions.)
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny [sic] reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
(Okay. Do you know what a "courser" is? I do now - a spirited horse!)
"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
(I have never been in a hurricane, but I have been in some pretty strong West Texas windstorms, so the image of the flying leaves still works for me.)
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys [sic], and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys [sic] he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
(A "peddler" is an itinerant salesman, which was a more common occupation in the 19th century than the present.)
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
(Big cultural shifts here! An overweight St. Nicholas smoking would not be a good role model in our health-conscious society.)
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
(I always wondered why St. Nick put his finger by his nose before he went back up the chimney. Some sort of magic charm?)
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
(Some modern version have changed "'ere" to "as," although "'ere" means "before" and "as" means "while.")
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
(Merry Christmas is more common in the modern day United States.)
I hope that doing a little linguistic analysis of "A Visit from St. Nicolas" hasn't ruined the beauty and the imagery of the poem for you. I still love the poem, old-fashioned language and allusions and all.
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