Clement Clarke Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas"

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Clement Clarke Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" is an 1823 Christmas poem that famously shaped the modern image and lore of Santa Claus, including his reindeer, sleigh, and chimney visits.


Statements (58)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Christmas poem
poem
alsoKnownAs The Night Before Christmas
’Twas the Night Before Christmas
author Clement Clarke Moore
countryOfOrigin United States
culturalImpact became a traditional Christmas Eve reading in many households
helped define Santa Claus in American popular culture
describes Santa Claus arriving in a sleigh
Santa Claus as chubby and plump
Santa Claus entering through a chimney
Santa Claus filling stockings
Santa Claus landing on a rooftop
Santa Claus with a bundle of toys
Santa Claus with a round belly
Santa Claus with a white beard
Santa Claus's twinkling eyes and merry dimples
a miniature sleigh
a quiet house on Christmas Eve
a tiny reindeer team
children sleeping
sugar-plums dancing in children's heads
featuresCharacter Saint Nicholas
Santa Claus
eight reindeer
the narrator's children
the narrator's wife
firstPublicationDate 1823
firstPublicationPlace Troy, New York
firstPublishedIn Troy Sentinel
genre children's literature
narrative poetry
introduced names of Santa's eight reindeer
language English
line A visit from St. Nicholas
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
meter anapestic tetrameter
narrativePerspective first person
narrator an unnamed householder
originalTitle A Visit from St. Nicholas
period 19th century American literature
popularized Santa Claus's chimney visits
Santa Claus's reindeer team
Santa Claus's sleigh
modern American image of Santa Claus
reindeerName Blitzen
Comet
Cupid
Dancer
Dasher
Donder
Prancer
Vixen
setting a family home at night
theme Christmas
Santa Claus
timeSetting Christmas Eve

Referenced by (12)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Dancer ("A Visit from St. Nicholas")
Donner ("“A Visit from St. Nicholas”")
Prancer ("A Visit from St. Nicholas")
Vixen ("A Visit from St. Nicholas")
appearsIn
Comet ("A Visit from St. Nicholas")
appearsInWork
Prancer ("1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas")
firstMentionedIn
Cupid
firstPopularizedBy
Christmas Eve ("poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas"")
inspiredWork
Cupid ("A Visit from St. Nicholas")
listedIn
Blitzen ("A Visit from St. Nicholas")
mentionedIn
A Visit from St. Nicholas ("A Visit from St. Nicholas")
originalTitle
Santa Claus
popularizedBy

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