Poetry · Chapter
Mild Christmas explained
A poem describing an unusually warm Christmas Day in 1889, where the landscape is green instead of white, and the animals are playful.
What happens
A poem describing an unusually warm Christmas Day in 1889, where the landscape is green instead of white, and the animals are playful. The speaker reflects on how Canadians traditionally love the snow and cold, and how a snowy winter is beneficial for the land and farming.
Themes in this chapter
Local Patriotism and Regional Pride
The poem expresses pride in Canadian winters, emphasizing that true Canadians love the snow and cold, and boast about enduring the winter's frost.
Agriculture and Rural Economy
The poem notes that a snowy winter leads to a more abundant yield, and that farmers can easily load their sleighs and travel over icy roads, highlighting the practical benefits of snow for agriculture.
Key passages
“On Christmas Day of eighty-nine, The sun all day did pleasant shine; The cows they would not eat their hay, But o’er the pasture lands did stray.”
On Christmas Day 1889, the sun shone pleasantly all day, and the cows refused to eat their hay, instead wandering through the pastures.
Describes the unusual mild weather and its effect on livestock.
“But Canadians do delight, To see the landscape robed in white; To them the sweetest music dwells In merry tinkle of sleigh bells.”
Canadians take pleasure in seeing the landscape covered in snow, and the sound of sleigh bells is like sweet music to them.
Expresses the cultural affection for snowy winters and the associated sounds.
“For true Canadians love the snow, And like to hear old Boreas blow; For with just pride they all do boast, They love the winter’s cold and frost.”
True Canadians love the snow and enjoy the wind of Boreas (the north wind), proudly boasting of their love for winter's cold and frost.
Reinforces the theme of regional pride in enduring and enjoying harsh winter conditions.