Editor's note
Ranking is generated by Storgy's classification model, which scores each poem's thematic depth on this subject relative to the rest of the corpus. The list is re-indexed weekly as new poems enter the public-domain corpus.
Best poems about — Storgy
Christmas.
Twenty-five poems, ranked.
25 of the finest public-domain poems about christmas, ranked by thematic depth. Scored by Storgy's classification model against the rest of the corpus, and re-indexed weekly as new works enter the canon.
The leading three
01
A Child's Christmas in Wales
Dylan Thomas
“Dylan Thomas's *A Child's Christmas in Wales* is a beautifully written memoir that captures the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of an adult reflecting on t…”
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02
Christmas Bells
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“A poet listens to the Christmas bells ringing their familiar message of peace, but the joy is interrupted by the booming of Civil War cannons. He sinks into des…”
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03
Christmas Hymn
Eugene Field
“A cheerful Christmas poem that invites bells, angels, and people to join in singing about Jesus's birth, culminating with the poet's own heart. Each stanza intr…”
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The complete index
- 04
Christmas Treasures
Eugene Field
A grieving father reflects on the small mementos left behind after his young son passed away on Christmas — a toy, a stocking, a lock of hair. The poem shifts from a joyful Christm…
- 05
Chrystmasse of Olde
Eugene Field
This poem is a Christmas blessing crafted in an old-fashioned style reminiscent of a medieval carol. Eugene Field urges Christian men everywhere — whether at home, at sea, in court…
- 06
For the Sunday-School Children of the Church of the Disciples
James Russell Lowell
This poem is a Christmas hymn made for children in Sunday school, telling the story of the Magi and the Shepherds at Jesus' birth. Lowell takes this story and turns it into a lesso…
- 07
The Three Kings
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This poem recounts the biblical tale of the Three Wise Men — Melchior, Gaspar, and Baltasar — who journey from the East, guided by a bright star, to find the newborn Jesus in Bethl…
- 08
Yule-log: The great log, sometimes the root of a tree, burned in
James Russell Lowell
This piece by James Russell Lowell reads more like a brief encyclopedia entry than a poem, focusing on the Yule-log tradition and concluding with a six-line song by Robert Herrick.…
- 09
Describe the hall of the castle as Sir Launfal saw it on Christmas
James Russell Lowell
This passage is from James Russell Lowell's narrative poem *The Vision of Sir Launfal*, which follows a proud knight who discovers that true charity, rather than grand adventures,…
- 10
From the Noei Bourguignon De Gui Barozai
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This poem joyfully celebrates Christmas singing, featuring various people — minstrels, shepherds, nuns, washerwomen — all embracing the holiday spirit despite the chill. Each stanz…
- 11
Gaspar
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This short poem is delivered by Gaspar, one of the three Wise Men, as he welcomes the infant Jesus in the manger. Gaspar praises the newborn as something beyond all of life's highs…
- 12
Hymn
Eugene Field
This poem is a Christmas hymn, translated from German, inviting the speaker's heart to gaze upon the baby Jesus in the manger and welcome him within. The speaker asks Christ to dwe…
- 13
Jest 'fore Christmas
Eugene Field
A playful boy named Bill confesses that he spends most of the year creating joyful chaos — teasing the cat, riding on grocery carts, and avoiding castor oil — but straightens up ev…
- 14
King Herod
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This poem immerses us in King Herod's thoughts as he decides to carry out the Massacre of the Innocents—the biblical killing of infant boys in Bethlehem intended to eliminate the n…
- 15
King Olaf's Christmas
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
King Olaf hosts a lavish Christmas feast in Norway, with his Viking warriors and Christian clergy by his side. He dares his court poet, Halfred the Scald, to compose a song rich wi…
- 16
Melchior
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This brief poem welcomes the newborn Jesus, but it takes a darker turn: the "crown" and "sceptre" that await him aren’t symbols of earthly glory but of suffering — a reed and a cro…
- 17
Star of the East
Eugene Field
This poem serves as a Christmas prayer directed at the Star of Bethlehem, the very star that led the Wise Men to the baby Jesus. Field calls on the star to continue its role — illu…
- 18
The Angels
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Seven angelic beings, each embodying one of the classical planets, soar through the sky to bring a star and their offerings to the newborn Jesus. Imagine a cosmic parade of gift-gi…
- 19
The Oxen
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy's "The Oxen" is a short poem reflecting a childhood belief that on Christmas Eve, oxen kneel in their stalls to honor Jesus's birth. As an adult, Hardy doesn't genuine…
- 20
December
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
December is a brief poem where the month of December comes to life, arriving last in the year on a goat, wearing a crown of holly, and holding a pine-cone staff. It merges the imag…
- 21
Prelude to Part Second
James Russell Lowell
A biting winter wind rushes down from the mountains, while a brook quietly creates a shimmering ice palace beneath the chill — all the while, inside a grand castle, Christmas fires…
- 22
The Norman Baron
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A Norman lord lies dying during a Christmas storm, and the sounds of carols celebrating Christ's birth penetrate his bedchamber, awakening his conscience. In a moment of fear and r…
- 23
Avec Un Panier De Vins Divers
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A lively bunch of personified wines — each named after a well-known French wine region or variety — makes their way through the night for a tipsy Christmas visit to the esteemed Sw…
- 24
King Witlaf's Drinking-Horn
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A Saxon king bequeaths his golden drinking-horn to a monastery, ensuring that the monks will toast his soul at every feast. The poem recounts one of these Christmas celebrations, b…
- 25
Chicago, May 26, 1892
Eugene Field
This letter is a funny piece by Eugene Field, who pretends to be a devout churchwoman writing to another member of the congregation about arranging a Christmas gift of knit slipper…
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