The Poet's Calendar
Twelve personified months speak in turn, describing winter frost, spring flowers, summer heat, autumn harvests, and December's carols. Janus, Maia, emperors, and zodiac figures give the months distinct voices as they describe changing weather and seasonal customs.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Seasonal Poetry, Nature Poetry, Mythological Poetry · 1,150 words
First lines
January
Janus am I; oldest of potentates; / Forward I look, and backward, and below / I count, as god of avenues and gates, / The years that through my portals come and go. / I block the roads, and drift the fields with snow; / I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen; / My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow, / My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men.
Genres
- Seasonal Poetry — Twelve eight-line stanzas proceed from January to December, giving each month a voice describing its weather, vegetation, and customs.
- Nature Poetry — Frozen rivers, spring flowers, bees, ripening harvests, migrating birds, and wind-driven leaves mark the year's progression.
- Mythological Poetry — January speaks as Janus, May as Maia, and November as the centaur Sagittarius; December announces the return of the Saturnian reign.
Tags
months · seasons · personification · zodiac · weather · harvests · seasonal customs
What this Textopian page supports
The Poet's Calendar is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Seasonal Poetry, Nature Poetry, Mythological Poetry
- Length: 1,150 words
- Structure: 1 section, 24 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Poet's Calendar by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
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