Christmas Literature Favorites ~ Part 2

Unlike the Christmas/Geography articles I have been writing during each December, this is the final part to this series. I don't have a lot of individual Christmas stories, but I could spend years writing about Christmas carols and songs. Also, unlike last year, I will be writing another link-up next week instead of a Christmas-specific article, although I bet the questions are holiday-related.

As I mentioned above, today's article is about the next set of my favorite Christmas literature. I have one story and two poems to discuss, so let's get to it. Comment below your favorite Christmas story, poem, or scene (from a book or movie). I'd love to hear about more heartwarming stories and poems centered around this joyous holiday.

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

The Gift of the Magi is a short story that is also well-known. Actually, on a field trip to Knott's Berry Farm in December, I was able to see a stage production of this story. It was very book accurate (the way I like it) except for the fact that the narrators were singing Christmas carols at the most random moments.

The two main characters of the story are a married couple, Della and Jim. The paycheck barely covers food and rent, so they don't have a lot of money for other things. Both of them sacrifice their greatest possessions (Della's hair and Jim's gold watch) to buy Christmas presents for each other. I won't spoil the rest of the story.

O. Henry is known for using irony and paradoxes in his stories. This story explains that although Della and Jim seemed like foolish children, they were actually much wiser than the Magi. You need to read the story to understand that aspect though.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
By Robert Frost 

Whose woods these are I think I know.  
His house is in the village though;  
He will not see me stopping here  
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer  
To stop without a farmhouse near  
Between the woods and frozen lake  
The darkest evening of the year.  

He gives his harness bells a shake  
To ask if there is some mistake.  
The only other sound’s the sweep  
Of easy wind and downy flake.  

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,  
But I have promises to keep,  
And miles to go before I sleep,  
And miles to go before I sleep.

This poem doesn't exactly talk about Christmas, but I decided to add this one to the list because I couldn't think of any others to add. This poem has beautiful imagery to describe a snowy winter night. It's also a great poem to recite if you need to calm down before bedtime. This is one of my favorite poems of all time if you were wondering.

 

'Jest Fore Christmas

Eugene Field

Father calls me William, sister calls me Will,
Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me Bill!
Mighty glad I ain't a girl - ruther be a boy,
Without them sashes, curls, an' things that's worn by Fauntleroy!
Love to chawnk green apples an' go swimmin' in the lake -
Hate to take the castor-ile they give for bellyache!
'Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain't no flies on me,
But jest 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin be!

Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat;
First thing she knows she doesn't know where she is at!
Got a clipper sled, an' when us kids goes out to slide,
'Long comes the grocery cart, an' we all hook a ride!
But sometimes when the grocery man is worrited an' cross,
He reaches at us with his whip, an' larrups up his hoss,
An' then I laff an' holler, "Oh, ye never teched me!"
But jest 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin be!

Gran'ma says she hopes that when I git to be a man,
I'll be a missionarer like her oldest brother, Dan,
As was et up by the cannibuls that lives in Ceylon's Isle,
Where every prospeck pleases, an' only man is vile!
But gran'ma she has never been to see a Wild West show,
Nor read the Life of Daniel Boone, or else I guess she'd know
That Buff'lo Bill an' cow-boys is good enough for me!
Excep' jest 'fore Christmas, when I'm good as I kin be!

And then old Sport he hangs around, so solemn-like an' still,
His eyes they seem a-sayin': "What's the matter, little Bill?"
The old cat sneaks down off her perch an' wonders what's become
Of them two enemies of hern that used to make things hum!
But I am so perlite an' 'tend so earnestly to biz,
That mother says to father: "How improved our Willie is!"
But father, havin' been a boy hisself, suspicions me
When, jest 'fore Christmas, I'm as good as I kin be!

For Christmas, with its lots an' lots of candies, cakes, an' toys,
Was made, they say, for proper kids an' not for naughty boys;
So wash yer face an' bresh yer hair, an' mind yer p's and q's,
An' don't bust out yer pantaloons, and don't wear out yer shoes;
Say "Yessum" to the ladies, an' "Yessur" to the men,
An' when they's company, don't pass yer plate for pie again;
But, thinkin' of the things yer'd like to see upon that tree,
Jest 'fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be!

This is a fun poem about a kid's reaction toward Christmas. For the record, you should be a good kid all year round and not only before Christmas. I love the dialect and the humor in this poem as well as the distinction that the narrator makes between boys and girls. I absolutely love stories about elementary boys doing interesting things. But anyways this is another great poem about Christmas.

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The quote of the week is by Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip: “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” I can hardly believe Christmas is within a week's distance! *goes to scream out of excitement.*