Christmas Poetry

 

This part of Christmas Time is devoted to Christmas related poetry by past and contemporary poets. It also provides a facility for purchasing poetry books in the form of Christmas dedicated collections or works by individual poets and writers that celebrate the Christmas season. 

If you have written a Christmas poem that you  would like to send to Christmas Time for consideration, we now have a section called  
Your Christmas Poem.
All you have to do send it to the following address. (It is not a 'hot link' as a measure against 'the spiders'.) However, we do not guarantee to publish all the material we receive. In all circumstances, copyright will remain with the author and any poem may be removed at the authors request, subject to valid proof of identity.


You can mail us at:

(This is not a 'hot link')

 Christmas Poems 

This Year's Featured Poem


We Won't Have A Christmas This Year
Verna S. Teeuwissen
Christmas

John Betjeman
Angels

Stephen Leake

The Starry Night

John Masefield

Falling Snow

Alan Williams

Carol of the Bells

Paul Curtis

The Silent Dawn

Paul Curtis
Talking Turkeys

Benjamin Zephania
The Christmas Herald

Curtis Paulson

Spirited

Stephen Leake

My Night With Santa

Bob Lazzar-Atwood

The 365 Days Of Christmas

Elvis McGonagall

Talking Turkeys

Benjamin Zephania
The Promise

Alan Williams

Goodwill To Men 
- Give Us Your Money
Pam Ayres
All Those Amazing Dreams

Alan Williams

Preparing the Bird

Curtis Paulson

First Light

Stephen Leake

BC : AD

U.A. Fanthorpe

Full Of Christmas Spirit

Paul Curtis

Advent

Stephen Leake

I Keep My Snowman In The Freezer
Ian McMillan
Presence

Stephen Leake

 Advent 1955

John Betjeman

 Winter Poem

Laurie Lee

 Why Birds Signal

Joseph Weismantel

Snowman Blues

Paul Curtis

Just The Two Of Us

Alan Williams

Christmas 1914

Mike Harding

Christmas Surprise

Mike Agius

Something For The Children
Patricia Harewood
The Christmas Postman

Alan Williams
 Back Home With Us 
For Christmas
Alan Williams
 The Wicked Fairy At The Manger
U.A. Fanthorpe
Christmas Market

Mike Harding

Christmas Envelopes

U.A. Fanthorpe
It's Christmas Time Again 
Bob Lazzar-Atwood
  Hunger Hill

Alan Williams
A Christmas Lesson

Tom Krause

The Angel Lady

Bob Lazzar-Atwood

Let Me Come In

Richard Bugg

 The Gift

Marion Caragounis

What The Donkey Saw

U.A. Fanthorpe
 Keeping Christmas

Verna S. Teeuwissen
  Christmas List 2008

Tomi Fratto

Christmas Chill

Paul Curtis

The First Tree In The Greenwood
Anon
The Biggest Star

John L Sarna

A Christmas Carol

Christina Rossetti

December

John Clare
 Joseph

U.A. Fanthorpe

Winter

William Shakespeare

For The Children Or The Grown-ups?
Anon
P.S. To Santa

Ivor Davis

Holy Night

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

 Christmass

John Clare

A Mother's Christmas Tale

Paul Curtis
Just Like Jesus

Mike Agius

Nativity

John Donne

Greetings to the World

Paul Curtis

Little Donkey

Eric Boswell
Open House

Anon
 The Bird Of Dawning

William Shakespeare

 Voices In The Mist

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Snowflakes

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Traditional
 Christmas Eve

Julie Lineker
Roman Thank You Letter

James Mitchie (trans.)

In The Workhouse

George R. Sims
  Santa's New Idea

Anon
Still

Melanie Wood

Christmas Shocking

Paul Curtis

  Make We Merry

Anon
I Sing Of A Maiden

Anon
 Christmas Bells

Henry W. Longfellow
Christmas Presents

Anon
 Softly The Night Is Sleeping
Anon

The Friendly Beasts

Traditional
 

Christmas in Envelopes

U.A.Fanthorpe

Mistletoe

Walter de la Mare

Christmas Is Coming 

Anon

 The Birds' Carol

Traditional (Czech)
Reindeer Report

U.A.Fanthorpe

Old Year

John Clare

Carol, For Candlemass Day

Anon

Now Thrice Welcome Christmas
Anon

The Christmas Pudding

Anon

The Christmas Blessing

Anon

Marmion

Sir Walter Scott
 In The Town

Anon
 The Reckoning

Anon
St. Stephen Was A Clerk

Anon

The Spirit Of Christmas

Anon
Advice From Poor Robin's Almanac
Anon
The New Year

Anon

Now That The Time Is Come
Anon


The Featured Poem

 

 Angels

by

Stephen Leake


The comet casts its own shadows

Pausing, somewhere north

To absorb the midnight dreams

Of children and

Luminous refrains

Of  the absolute snow.

 

The whole world seems to be up late:

Existing between presence and some

Biblical space…

Out, where that bright star begins.

 

The season’s breeze sings

(With the pageants of frost),

To the sacred structure

Of the Christmas dawn.

 

And they arrive:

These spirits of reason

With their language of lights;

Flaring and feasting

On unsleeping prayers.

 

We hear them-

Their copper voices

Ghosting the night

Through the candle-flame

Flicker of trees.

 

‘White is the colour of the heart’ they cry

As the world makes merry and the logs

Burn low.

 

‘Regard the ash of the Christmas fires.

Does it resemble snow?’



Copyright © Stephen Leake. All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Publisher.

 

 

Christmas Poetry Books

"The Oxford Book Of Christmas Poems"   

This is a lovely book of Christmas poems, suitable for children as well as adults, It contains many excellent illustrations and some of the poems in "Christmas Pie" section of the Christmas-time site are also contained within this book. The editors, Michael Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark, obviously have excellent taste.

This is a lovely book of Christmas poems, suitable for children as well as adults, It contains many excellent illustrations and some of the poems in "Christmas Pie" section of the Christmas-time site are also contained within this book. The editors, Michael Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark, obviously have excellent taste. 
'This is a superb collection: serious and funny, meditative and prayerful, narrative and in song-form. The illustrations by many artists are beautiful .... an excellent gift.' The Malvern Gazette.

 

"A Child's Christmas In Wales"  by Dylan Thomas.  

This is one of my very favorite books, full of language that I never grow tired of. It is beautiful and if you don't own a copy already buy one immediately and put a smile on your Christmas.
You will find more information about this book in the prose section of this web-site. It is basically a celebration of the author's childhood and Christmas in a small Welsh town and contains some of the most charming and endearing stories ever written on the subject of Christmas. No one should be without a copy of this beautiful little book at Christmas.

Other books by Dylan Thomas

 

"The Young Oxford Book of Christmas Poems" Michael Harrison & Christopher Start-Clark Editors. 

Don't be misled by the title. This is a book to be enjoyed by poetry lovers of all ages who are susceptible to the magic of Christmas. Any poetry book that includes W.H.Auden's "Well, So That Is That" can't be just a kid's book. It really is a wonderful collection of Christmas Poetry with works from such poets as Blake, Clare, Donne, Herrick, Stevenson, de la Mare, Hardy and Rosetti as well as more contemporary writers including Dylan Thomas, John Hedgley, Charles Causley, Sylvia Plath, U.A. Fanthorpe and Ted Hughes. This is an excellent source of material for anyone putting together a rehearsed reading as a Christmas Entertainment ......... as of course are the Christmas Poetry and Christmas Prose sections of the Christmas-Time web site. 


"The Works" by Pam Ayres. 

A collection of the poetry by Pam Ayres, this book offers an amalgamation of all her works up to the time this book was published. Her poems take a humorous and honest look at life's pleasures and tribulations and includes such poems as "Goodwill To Men - Give Us Your Money", "Oh I Wish I'd Looked After me Teeth" and "Do You Think Bruce Springsteen Would Fancy Me?".

Other books by Pam Ayres

 

John Betjeman's Collected Poems Price 

"Collected Poems" made publishing history when it first appeared and has sold over two million copies. This edition includes "Uncollected Poems" (the last of the individual volumes not included in the previous edition) and also two additional unpublished poems. This is a wonderful collection of meaningful and accessible poetry, including "Advent 1955" and "Christmas", that is a must for any personal library. 

Other books by John Betjeman

 

 

"Christmas Poems" An Anthology by Gaby Morgan

A wonderful anthology of beautiful new and classic poems, carols and hymns for Christmas. It captures all the emotion and excitement of the festive season, from anticipation to enjoyment, to the joy of the New Year. Christmas is coming, The geese are getting fat, Please to put a penny In the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, A ha'penny will do; If you haven't got a ha'penny, Then God bless you! Anon.


 

"Christmas Poems"  by U.A. Fanthorpe This collection brings together the poems U.A. Fanthorpe has been sending out to friends as Christmas cards since 1974. Now readers can enjoy Fanthorpe's yearly output in its entirety, including some previously unpublished poems. Her subject matter covers a broad range of seasonal characters, from angels to personified Christmas trees, and a variety of styles to match.
"If you love or hate Christmas, believe or disbelieve passionately, or simply value short, pithy poems, this book will surely be a treasure for you. It's funny, irreverent and godly all at once. Can be given to the aged aunt or the stroppy brat in the sure knowledge that it will make both chuckle and feel it was written for them. I have bought 3 copies (and no, I don't know the author!)"

Other books by U.A. Fanthorpe

 

 "My First Book OF Christmas Poems"  John Foster (Editor)

Put a little bit of sparkle into your Christmas with this glittering collection. Richly illustrated and beautifully designed, this book is a present you will want to open over and over again. There are poems about everything you can think of to do with Christmas - from decorations to food, from parties to presents, and of course the real reason for the celebrations. A festive feast for the eyes and for the imagination.A wide-ranging, balanced, and lively collection, with contributions from AA Milne, Tony Mitton, Berlie Doherty and Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Illustrated in zinging, jewel-like colour with tremendous charm and energy.


 

" The Brink"  by Jacob Polley  

This is the debut collection from the poet considered to be the new Paul Farley. Jacob Polley already has a formidable reputation as one of the sharpest and most unusual new voices to have appeared on the scene in many years. Now, with the publication of his first collection, "The Brink", readers will have their first opportunity to see his remarkable transforming imagination in action, where a jar of honey is '... the sun, all flesh and no bones / but for the floating knuckle / of honeycomb / attesting to the nature of the struggle', and a gull's hovering is 'suddenly akin / to dangling on a coat hook / by the back of a coat you're still in'. 
The Christmas connection in this excellent book of outstanding poetry is "Snow". I love it! You can read it now if you take this link 

If you would like to know more about this book or other Pan MacMillan publications you can use  the following link: www.panmacmillan.com

 

 

 "Talking Turkeys"  by Benjamin Zephaniah  

"Be kind to yu turkeys dis christmas"! Who else but Benjamin Zephaniah lets us know that turkeys 'jus wanna play reggae' and wakes us up to 'Civil Lies'? In my opinion this is an excellent, fun, well-illustrated book. Great for young and old and if you haven't got it yet then may I suggest that you put it on your next birthday list. Nice one Benjamin! Reviewed by Bernie from London.

Other books by Benjamin Zephaniah


 

"Christmas Please"  Editor: Douglas Brooks-Davies Illust'r: Dovrat Ben-Nahum 

This is a must-have collection of seasonal poems that is worth buying for the stunning watercolour illustrations alone, beautifully created by Dovrat Ben-Nahum. They are all here; the baby Jesus and the three kings, holly and mistletoe, angels and carols, mince pies and gifts in this wonderful selection of poetry on every aspect of Christmas, taken from the whole range of English verse, from the Middle Ages to the present day. There are many delightful poems to please every mood and taste. All you have to do to buy it is click the above illustration. (Sorry, UK only.)


"Beyond The Parasol" by Stephen Leake 

This debut collection gives readers their first chance to see Leake's imagination in action. All the poems contained here were written between September 2003 and May 2004. The symbols and images used tend to harness nature, the sea and scenes from the writer's past. The title poem 'Beyond the Parasol' opens with a series of images which disappear into its final line. This sets the scene for the whole collection. The poems are evanescent with a strong balance between image and idea.

Stephen writes:


 Originally I didn't intend to publish them; mainly because of their autobiographical nature (particularly the ones from 'Ten Minutes Only.') However, the book quickly seemed to shape itself and I thought I'd share the collection with a wider audience. The symbols and images I use tend to harness nature, the sea and observations of everyday people. I have tried to allow each poem to live in its language, using the imagery as a starting point. The title poem opens with a series of pictures, which expand as the poem develops until it disappears into its final line: 'Beyond. Beyond the parasol'. This line sets the scene for the entire collection. Mysteriously absorbing, it reminds us that there is a lot to be discovered in the changing world beyond the four walls we may live in - or, in the case of this poem, beyond the parasol in my own East-End back garden. My hope with this book is that it will be enjoyed and understood by the reader at whatever level. Much contemporary poetry can be pretentious and superficial. I believe this is not the case with this collection. I would like to think that the reader is taken on a journey around the many different aspects of life explored here. The Parasol Poems are not just full of meaning. They are being themselves.

You can find more Christmas Poetry by visiting http://www.poems-and-poetry.com/holiday-poems/christmas-poems.htm


Take this link for Christmas Books

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