‘Twas the night before Christmas’ was originally a poem written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. You may also recognise the poem as it also goes by the name “A Visit from St Nicholas.” This poem changed a lot of views on Christmas and Santa Clause and is now a tradition for many to read the poem on Christmas Eve.
Who Is Clement Clarke Moore
Clement Clarke Moore was an American writer and Professor of Oriental and Greek Literature in New York City. He was born in 1779 and died in 1863, but during that time was best known for writing the poem ‘Twas the night before Christmas.’ Although Clement Clarke Moore has authorship over the poem, it was originally posted anonymously so some argue if he is the author after all.
That being said, the poem is now a global hit and has been referenced in many movies and within the media. It has even been made into a short film that is based on the poem itself. This is a silent film called The Night Before Christmas and was released in 1905. This film closely follows the plot of the poem and later on in 1933 Disney also had their take on the poem. It had the same name as the previous film but took the form of an animation and did not follow the storyline as closely as the film made in 1905.
The Front Cover
One of the most iconic and loved aspects of the poem is the front cover. It is the definition of eye-catching with bursts of festive colours that are sure to put you into the Christmas spirits. We can see why people love it as it represents the joy seen at Christmas. This is shown through Santa’s sleigh and his reindeer flying across a snowy sky. It’s also a joy-filled picture because it reminds people of their childhood and the joy that the thought of Santa coming to leave you presents brought. Looking at the photo centuries later, nothing much has changed about Santa apart from the colour of his hat and the number of reindeers that come along with Santa’s sleigh (although this is only less in the photo on the front cover of the poem.)
One Of The Greatest Christmas Quotes Of All Time
The first line of the poem is probably one of the most famous Christmas quotes of all time. It is a quote that many people know off by heart and is still used at Christmas even in the 21st century. The rest of the first page helped to set the scene for the rest of the poem and described the night before Christmas in a way that many people can relate to. This includes the hanging of the stockings and laying in bed dreaming of the day to come. The end of the poem featured Santa Clause leaving to deliver more presents to children across the globe and emphasising another famous quote which is ‘Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!’
The Artwork Within The Poem
Each page featured a drawing, most done in all black and white and showcased what the poem was talking about. These pictures are in great detail and take up the majority of the page, on many of the pages of the poem. Although the majority of the drawings are in black and white, there are full pages dedicated to drawings in colour. These drawings consist of festive colours such as green, red and burgundy. The pictures in the poem include drawings of children collecting holly, and Santa entering through the chimney, as well as many more Christmas related artwork. These pictures also help set the scene and help you create a better picture of the poem in your head.
What Is The Storyline Of The Poem?
The storyline of the poem is about a child that is awoken by the sound of Santa Clause landing outside of their house. The poem starts with the child trying to fall asleep when he is awoken by a loud ‘clatter,’ which is Santa outside of their house. They could hear Santa calling out to his reindeers and at the climax of the poem Santa enters the house through the chimney and starts getting to work/puts the presents into the stockings. The poem then ends with Santa leaving the house through the chimney and getting back into his sleigh where he drove off into the night. Within the poem, they emphasise the fact that the child is not scared of Santa, and that the experience itself is a magical one, which many readers enjoyed about the poem and is one of the reasons people still love the poem today.
We have created a beautiful miniature version of this magical book, in the form of a Christmas tree decoration. Click here for further details.
