If you are familiar with the poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” aka “A Visit from St. Nicholas” - if you’ve known it by heart since childhood - I’m about to blow your mind.
The reindeer don’t fly.
Really, the text of the poem is very clear on this.
Okay, actually they do go from the ground up to the top of the house, which is quite impressive for a ruminant, but their approach to the house is on the ground. They don’t come zooming in like a 747 as we always imagine.
If you are like me, some lines in the poem that have never made sense will now be very clear. Ignore whatever distracting pictures are drawn in the book you purchased from a big Santa publishing conglomerate and focus on the words.
I’ve quoted the important lines below with my comments. You can see the full text at
http://ift.tt/SrSzfz
Important lines:
On the lawn? What is making noise on the lawn?
These were the lines that first gave me the idea that Santa was on the ground.
He has just opened the shutter/sash combo adorning his window and he looks at “objects below”. He is looking down.
OF COURSE he is looking down, that’s where you look when you have heard a noise on your lawn. It is while looking at these objects below that he sees what he next describes
[The next lines, which you know by heart, are very important for what they DON'T say.]
He is looking out his window and describes the sleigh, driver and reindeer.
Read these words carefully, he does not ever say or imply they’re flying. Wouldn't a flying sleigh be something interesting that he would point out?
If I told you I looked out my window and saw someone driving a car, don't you think I'd mention if it was a flying car?
This line never made much sense to me, flying down to the edge of the roof? But if they are going from the ground to the tops of both porch and wall, it makes much more sense.
These lines never made any sense either. I think we skipped them as a kid, or possibly our book omitted them (see comment about publishing conspiracy above). But they make perfect sense when describing how the reindeer flew up the side of the house from the ground to the top, like a leaf in the wind
Couldn’t be clearer.
At this point they are on the roof and I return you to the mental image of the rest of the poem you had as a kid.
I know what I'm suggesting is shocking, I expect to make some powerful enemies by posting this, but the text is very clear. Santa approaches the house at ground level, as any trespassing animal-pulled sleigh would, and goes right up the wall to the roof.
When reading it to your child this year, try not to let them see how I have ruined it for you.
The reindeer don’t fly.
Really, the text of the poem is very clear on this.
Okay, actually they do go from the ground up to the top of the house, which is quite impressive for a ruminant, but their approach to the house is on the ground. They don’t come zooming in like a 747 as we always imagine.
If you are like me, some lines in the poem that have never made sense will now be very clear. Ignore whatever distracting pictures are drawn in the book you purchased from a big Santa publishing conglomerate and focus on the words.
I’ve quoted the important lines below with my comments. You can see the full text at
http://ift.tt/SrSzfz
Important lines:
Quote:
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter |
On the lawn? What is making noise on the lawn?
Quote:
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave a lustre of midday to objects below When what to my wondering eyes did appear |
These were the lines that first gave me the idea that Santa was on the ground.
He has just opened the shutter/sash combo adorning his window and he looks at “objects below”. He is looking down.
OF COURSE he is looking down, that’s where you look when you have heard a noise on your lawn. It is while looking at these objects below that he sees what he next describes
[The next lines, which you know by heart, are very important for what they DON'T say.]
Quote:
When what to my wondering eyes did appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name |
He is looking out his window and describes the sleigh, driver and reindeer.
Read these words carefully, he does not ever say or imply they’re flying. Wouldn't a flying sleigh be something interesting that he would point out?
If I told you I looked out my window and saw someone driving a car, don't you think I'd mention if it was a flying car?
Quote:
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! |
This line never made much sense to me, flying down to the edge of the roof? But if they are going from the ground to the tops of both porch and wall, it makes much more sense.
Quote:
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky |
These lines never made any sense either. I think we skipped them as a kid, or possibly our book omitted them (see comment about publishing conspiracy above). But they make perfect sense when describing how the reindeer flew up the side of the house from the ground to the top, like a leaf in the wind
Quote:
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew |
Couldn’t be clearer.
At this point they are on the roof and I return you to the mental image of the rest of the poem you had as a kid.
I know what I'm suggesting is shocking, I expect to make some powerful enemies by posting this, but the text is very clear. Santa approaches the house at ground level, as any trespassing animal-pulled sleigh would, and goes right up the wall to the roof.
When reading it to your child this year, try not to let them see how I have ruined it for you.
Santa’s Reindeer Don’t Fly in ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
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