101 Poems, Number 100

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

100: “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” 1823, by Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863)*

Way back I had to memorize

This poem for a Christmas show—

Well, “show” is just the super-size

For classroom program, don’t you know?

The parents sat out in our seats—

And then my time arrived to speak.

I did okay—no real defeats—

Though afterwards I felt so weak.

I’d stumbled with those “dry leaves” lines—

I couldn’t picture what went on.

But parents’ smiles were welcome signs—

And, soon enough, the time was gone.

And when our grandsons joined us here,

I learned that poem once again,

Reciting it for Christmas cheer—

And now they know it—makes me grin.

*There has been some disagreement about authorship: The poem was originally published anonymously.

Link to poem.