StoryTitle("caps", "A Visit From St. Nicholas") ?> Visit From St. Nicholas," by Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) is the most popular Christmas poem ever written. It carries Santa Claus on from year to year and the spirit of Santa Claus.
PoemStart() ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "The children were nestled all snug in their beds,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "Away to the window I flew like a flash,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "With a little old driver, so lively and quick,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "\"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!\"", "") ?> PagePoem(30, "L0", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas, too.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "As I drew in my head, and was turning around,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "He had a broad face and a little round belly,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,", "") ?> PagePoem(31, "L0", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And laying his finger aside of his nose,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "And away they all flew like the down on a thistle.", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,", "") ?> PoemLine("L0", "", "\"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.\"", "") ?>