Christmas Poems » (Original)

Awake the voice! Awake the string!

Dark and dull night fly hence away,

And give the honor of this day

That sees December turned to May.

—William Herrick

Christmas Poems is a pleasing and diverse selection of classic holiday poems that goes all the way back to an eclogue of Virgil, moves along to a wide range of authors such as Chaucer, Herbert, Longfellow, Dickinson, Paul Dunbar, Rilke, Yeats, William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, E. E. Cummings, Kenneth Patchen, Thomas Merton, Wallace Stevens, Marie Ponsot, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Frank O’Hara, Denise Levertov, and Bernadette Mayer.

Beautifully designed, this New Directions gem (originally published in the 1940s and reissued in the 1970s) rings with the deep sentiments of the season and just the right splash of holiday cheer. Christmas Poems comes with French flaps and is the perfect size for a stocking stuffer.

Christmas Poems was originally edited by Albert M. Hayes and New Directions founder and publisher James Laughlin as A Wreath of Christmas Poems, and published as part of the "Poets of the Year" series in 1942. The collection was updated and revised in 1972, and selections for this newly revised 2008 edition have been chosen by the editorial staff at New Directions.

Ring Out, Wild Bells ! Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1

Little Tree E. E. Cummings Cummings, E. E. 3

Christmas George Herbert Herbert, George 5

Burning the Christmas Greens William Carlos Williams Williams, William Carlos 7

Veni, Veni Emmanuel Traditional 11

In the Bleak Mid-Winter Christina Rossetti Rossetti, Christina 13

The Cherry Tree Carol Anonymous 15

Christmas East of the Blue Ridge Charles Wright Wright, Charles 17

Nativity John Donne Donne, John 19

As Dew in April Anonymous 20

Winter Scene A. R. Ammons Ammons, A. R. 21

The Magi William Butler Yeats Yeats, William Butler 22

A Song of the Virgin Mother Lope De Vega De Vega, Lope 23

The Savior Must Have Been a Docile Gentleman Emily Dickinson Dickinson, Emily 25

Twas Just This Time, Last Year I Died Emily Dickinson Dickinson, Emily 25

Karma Edwin Arlington Robinson Robinson, Edwin Arlington 27

From On the Morning of Christ's Nativity John Milton Milton, John 28

Dust of Snow Robert Frost Frost, Robert 30

From Rorate Celi Desuper William Dunbar Dunbar, William 31

Come Bring With a Noise Robert Herrick Herrick, Robert 33

What Sweeter Music Can We Bring Robert Herrick Herrick, Robert 34

From Midwinter Day Bernadette Mayer Mayer, Bernadette 36

A Visit from St. Nicholas Clement C. Moore Moore, Clement C. 38

A Christmas Card Thomas Merton Merton, Thomas 41

Christmas Card to Grace Hartigan Frank O'Hara O'Hara, Frank 43

From The Second Nun's Tale Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer, Geoffrey 45

The Oxen Thomas Hardy Hardy, Thomas 47

The Carrier of the Massachusetts Spy, Etc 48

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth 49

Xmas Robert Creeley Creeley, Robert51

From The Fourth Eclogue Virgil 52

Christmas Stevie Smith Smith, Stevie 56

Christmas Carol Paul Lawrence Dunbar Dunbar, Paul Lawrence 58

Christ Climbed Down Lawrence Ferlinghetti Ferlinghetti, Lawrence 60

From As You Like It William Shakespeare Shakespeare, William 64

A Christmas Greeting Walt Whitman Whitman, Walt 65

Minstrals William Wordsworth Wordsworth, William 66

'The Holy One, Blessed Be He Denise Levertov Levertov, Denise 67

St. Bernard's Hymn to the Virgin Dante 68

The Snow Man Wallace Stevens Stevens, Wallace 70

The Boar's Head Carol Traditional 71

Gigue for Christmas Eve Marie Ponsot Ponsot, Marie 73

Joseph's Suspicion Rainier Maria Rilke Rilke, Rainier Maria 75

Christmas Letter 1944 Robert Duncan Duncan, Robert 76

The Old Year Now Away Has Fled Traditional 78

Auld Lang Syne Robert Burns Burns, Robert 79

The True Christmas Henry Vaughn Vaughn, Henry 81

Red Hook: December George Oppen Oppen, George 83

I Have Lighted the Candles, Mary Kenneth Patchen Patchen, Kenneth 84