December by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the themes of nostalgia, longing, and the passing of time. It describes a person's reminiscence of past joys and loves during the month of December, which serves as a metaphor for the twilight of life. The speaker reflects on the fleeting nature of youth, beauty, and happiness, and how they are inevitably lost with the passage of time.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1912 · Genre: Poetry, Seasonal, Personification · 312 words
First lines
Upon December's windy portico The Old Year stood, and looked out where the sun Went wading down the West, through drifting clouds. ‘I, too, shall sink full soon to rest,' he sighed, ‘And follow where my children's feet have trod; Brave January, beauteous May and June, My lovely daughters, and my valiant sons, All, all save one, have left me for that bourne Men call the Past. It seems but yesterday I saw fair August, laughing with the Sea, Snaring the Earth with her seductive wiles, And making conquest, even of the Sun. Yet has she gone, and left me here to mourn. ' Then spake December, from an open door: ‘Father, the night grows cold; come in and rest. Sit with me here beside this glowing grate; I have not left thee; thou art not alone; My house is thine; all warm with love and light, And bright with holly and with cedar sweet. My stalwart arm is thine to lean upon; The feast is spread, I only wait for thee; God smiles upon thy dead, smile thou on me. ' Then through the open door the Old Year passed And darkness settled on the outer world.
What this Textopian page supports
December is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Seasonal, Personification, Reflective, Nature
- Length: 312 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for December by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering December?
- How does this poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Poetry first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Poetry — The text is written in verse form with a focus on rhythm and meter.
- Seasonal — The content revolves around the month of December and the transition of the year.
- Personification — Abstract concepts like months and the year are given human characteristics and emotions.
- Reflective — The themes include reflection on the past and the passage of time.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · Romanticism · Nature · Seasonal · Winter · Melancholy · Nostalgia · Love · Longing · Loss · Grief