Christmas Poetry Readings

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Christmas Poetry Readings

If you were with us last year, we shared some lovely Christmas poetry as our gift to your family during this beautiful, but often too busy, season. You can read and listen to those poems here.

This year we are sharing 3 more beloved Christmas poems. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy being part of your homeschool journey. We look forward to another wonderful year of creating delightful homeschools together.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

PS – At the bottom of this post we’ve shared some of our favorite Christmas poetry books as well as a printable of these poems for your family to enjoy, so don’t miss them. There’s a bonus Chocolate gingerbread recipe we hope you enjoy!

Good King Wenceslas by John Mason Neale

Good King Wenceslas look’d out,

On the Feast of Stephen;

When the snow lay round about,

Deep, and crisp, and even:

Brightly shone the moon that night,

Though the frost was cruel,

When a poor man came in sight,

Gath’ring winter fuel.

“Hither page and stand by me,

If thou know’st it, telling,

Yonder peasant, who is he?

Where and what his dwelling?”

“Sire, he lives a good league hence.

Underneath the mountain;

Right against the forest fence,

By Saint Agnes’ fountain.”

“Bring me flesh,and bring me wine,

Bring me pine-logs hither:

Thouand I will see him dine,

When we bear them thither.”

Page and monarch forth they went,

Forth they went together;

Through the rudewind’s wild lament,

And the bitter weather.

“Sire, the night is darker now,

And the wind blows stronger;

Fails my heart, I know now how,

I can go no longer.”

“Mark my footsteps, good my page;

Tread thou in them boldly;

Thou shalt find the winter’s rage

Freeze thy blood less coldly.”

In his master’s steps he trod,

Where the snow lay dinted;

Heat was in the very sod

Which the Saint had printed.

Therefore, Christian men, be sure,

Wealth or rank possessing,

Ye who now will bless the poor,

Shall yourselves find blessing.

Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

Christmas Eve by Christina Rosetti

Christmas hath a darkness
Brighter than the blazing noon,
Christmas hath a chillness
Warmer than the heat of June,
Christmas hath a beauty
Lovelier than the world can show:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.

Earth, strike up your music,
Birds that sing and bells that ring;
Heaven hath answering music
For all Angels soon to sing:
Earth, put on your whitest
Bridal robe of spotless snow:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.