A Visit from St. Nicholas

by Clement Clarke Moore · 1823 · 2 min di lettura · 56 righe

In breve

“A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore is a narrative poem about a nighttime Christmas visit that turns a quiet home into a scene of wonder. The household is asleep, stockings hang beside the chimney, and children dream of sugar-plums. A sudden clatter sends the narrator to the window, where moonlight on fresh snow reveals a tiny sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. St. Nicholas calls his team by name, lands on the roof, and bounds down the chimney with toys. His soot-marked fur, bright eyes, and shaking belly make him funny rather than frightening. Without speaking, he fills the stockings and rises back up the chimney. The poem ends with his flying departure and a Christmas wish for everyone.

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot 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;The children were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,Has just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,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.The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snowGave the luster of mid-day to objects below,When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny 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:“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder 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;So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas, too.And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roofThe 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 he had flung on his back,And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.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.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;He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,And away they all flew like the down on a thistle.But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”

Il significato, riga per riga

Righe da 1 a 12: The opening presents a household resting on Christmas Eve, ready for St. Nicholas. Carefully hung stockings and the children’s sweet dreams suggest eager expectation beneath the quiet. A loud noise abruptly changes the pace. The narrator’s quick movements toward the window turn a peaceful bedtime scene into the start of an adventure.

Righe da 13 a 28: Moonlight makes the snowy yard bright enough for the narrator to see a miniature sleigh and recognize St. Nicholas. Naming all eight reindeer gives the scene specific detail, while shouted commands quicken its rhythm. Comparisons to eagles and windblown leaves make the team’s climb to the rooftop feel swift and magical.

Righe da 29 a 44: The sound of hooves brings the visitor closer before he drops down the chimney. His sooty fur and toy bundle give him the practical look of someone carrying goods. Playful comparisons describe his rosy face, snowy beard, circling pipe smoke, and wobbling belly. These details make the magical visitor seem lively, familiar, and amusing.

Righe da 45 a 56: The narrator laughs at St. Nicholas, whose wink and gesture remove any fear. He quietly fills the stockings, then returns up the chimney and flies away with his team. The comparison to floating thistle down gives his departure a light, effortless quality. His final greeting extends the scene’s warmth beyond the household to everyone.

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Tre domande su cui riflettere

How does the change from household silence to sudden movement shape the narrator’s experience?
Which details make St. Nicholas seem both magical and familiar to the narrator?
How do the poem’s comparisons help you picture the reindeer, St. Nicholas, and their departure?

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