The Day after Christmas by Joyce Kilmer
The poem describes a scene of quiet and stillness on the day after Christmas, with snow-covered trees and a frozen lake. The speaker reflects on the joy and wonder of the holiday season, but also notes the passing of time and the return to normalcy. The tone is contemplative and peaceful, evoking a sense of calm and serenity.
By Joyce Kilmer · First published 1912 · Genre: Essay, Literary Nonfiction, Holiday Literature · 2,386 words
First lines
Of course, people still ride on the elevated railways. But not the people who used to be taken over by their mothers from Jersey City on the Cortlandt Street Ferry about once every month, and then up Sixth Avenue by the elevated en route for the shops. These people now know the swift and monotonous tube train instead of the rakish ferryboat, the dull subway instead of the stimulating elevated railway. And even if they knelt upon the seats of the subway car, their rubbers projecting into the aisles and their faces pressed against the windows, they would see only blank walls and dismal stations instead of other people's Christmas trees.
What this Textopian page supports
The Day after Christmas is listed on Textopian as a short story by Joyce Kilmer, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Joyce Kilmer
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Essay, Literary Nonfiction, Holiday Literature, Social Commentary, Humor
- Length: 2,386 words
- Structure: 1 section, 21 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Day after Christmas by Joyce Kilmer
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Essay — The work reflects on personal and societal themes related to Christmas, using a contemplative and reflective style typical of essays.
- Literary Nonfiction — It combines factual observations about Christmas traditions with personal reflections, characteristic of literary nonfiction.
- Holiday Literature — The focus on Christmas and its aftermath places it firmly within the holiday literature genre.
- Social Commentary — The text critiques and reflects on social customs and behaviors surrounding Christmas, fitting the social commentary genre.
Tags
Poetry · Christmas · Holiday · Seasonal · Nature · Reflection · Meditation · Spirituality · Faith · Hope · Renewal · New Year