When Christmas Comes by Virna Sheard

Name: When Christmas Comes
Author: Virna Sheard

The work juxtaposes youthful anticipation with mature recollection during the festive season. It contrasts the tangible delights of innocence—new toys, bright candles, holly, and the joy of meeting friends—with the poignant remnants of time: broken playthings, faded memories, and faces lost to the past. It explores how celebration is both a time of vibrant hope for the future and a moment to acknowledge the weight of bygone days. The narrative weaves images of physical splendor, like festive décor and the warmth of gathering, with melancholic symbols such as frost, shadows, and the quiet ache of reminiscing. A recurring unifying theme is the symbol of the mystic star and the enduring image of the child, representing renewal, unbroken hope, and the transcendent quality of the season. Ultimately, the work meditates on the dual nature of celebrations—where immediate joy, ephemeral beauty, and lasting memories coexist, leading the reader to contemplate the bittersweet passage of time and the persistent presence of wonder during a season of both reception and reflection.

By Virna Sheard · First published 1948 · Genre: Christmas Poetry, Lyrical Poetry, Reflective Poetry · 316 words

First lines

For thee, my small one -- trinkets and new toys, The wine of life and all its keenest joys, When Christmas comes. For me, the broken playthings of the past That in my folded hands I still hold fast, When Christmas comes.

For thee, fair hopes of all that yet may be, And tender dreams of sweetest mystery, When Christmas comes. For thee, the future in a golden haze, For me, the memory of some bygone days, When Christmas comes.

What this Textopian page supports

When Christmas Comes is listed on Textopian as a poem by Virna Sheard, dated 1948 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Poem
Author: Virna Sheard
Date: 1948 CE
Language: English
Genres: Christmas Poetry, Lyrical Poetry, Reflective Poetry, Religious Poetry, Sentimental Poetry
Length: 316 words
Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

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Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles

Genres

Christmas Poetry — The work centers on Christmas imagery and themes, portraying the essence of the holiday in a poetic form.
Lyrical Poetry — The poem employs musical language and vivid imagery, characteristic of lyrical verse.
Reflective Poetry — The work meditates on memory, time, and the bittersweet nature of nostalgia, common in reflective poetry.
Religious Poetry — The mention of Bethlehem and the nativity imparts a subtle religious dimension to the poem.