THE snow had begun in the gloaming,
And busily all the night
Had been heaping field and highway
With a silence deep and white.
Every pine and fir and hemlock
Wore ermine too dear for an earl,
And the poorest twig on the elm-tree
Was ridged inch deep with pearl.
From sheds new-roofed with Carrara
Came Chanticleer's muffled crow,
The stiff rails were softened to swan's-down,
And still fluttered down the snow.
I stood and watched by the window
The noiseless work of the sky,
And the sudden flurries of snow-birds,
Like brown leaves whirling by.
I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn
Where a little headstone stood;
How the flakes were folding it gently,
As did robins the babes in the wood.
Up spoke our own little Mabel,
Saying, 'Father, who makes it snow?'
And I told of the good All-father
Who cares for us here below.
Again I looked at the snowfall,
And thought of the leaden sky
That arched o'er our first great sorrow,
When that mound was heaped so high.
I remembered the gradual patience
That fell from that cloud like snow,
Flake by flake, healing and hiding
The scar of our deep-plunged woe.
And again to the child I whispered,
'The snow that husheth all,
Darling, the merciful Father
Alone can make it fall! '
Then, with eyes that saw not, I kissed her;
And she, kissing back, could not know
That my kiss was given to her sister,
Folded close under deepening snow.
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Comments
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On the occasion of our first snowfall
From guest Laura Ann Sullivan (contact)
Visited Como Observatory in St.Paul with my precious 90 yr.old friend, Eleanore, who remembered this poem with fondness as we saw the huge, wet snowflakes falling around us. I told her I would "google" the poem, and here it is!! Thanks to you, and I enjoyed the comments of others! I read the poem to Eleanore over the phone. I have an 80 yr. old friend named Wesley who can recite poems by heart from when he was a youngster. Why aren't children taught to do this now? I love to read poems with my friends!!! -
elegant
From guest rtu3 (contact)
English is my second language, I was touched by this elegant poem. -
First Read in Komondorski Village
From guest Vivian Oransk (contact)
I first read this poem in 1947 in Komondorski Village, outside Pleasanton, California at age 7. It was in Best Loved American Poems, one of several books given to our family that year. I have especially always loved, "...wore an ermine too dear for an earl, and the poorest twig on the elm tree was ridged inch deep with pearl". -
From guest Lorraine LeDuc (contact)
When I was a Sophomore in High School in 1946, I read 'The First Snowfall' as a contestant in our school's oratorical contest. I didn't win but I never forgot the beautiful words and the emotion of Lowell's words. I am 78 yrs. old and can still recite it. It's a classic poetic work for me. -
my favorite poem
From guest Charity (contact)
When I was in elementry school, this was my favorite writing. I was going through my old papers and this poem reappeared!!! -
Thanks!
From guest Jean Adrik (contact)
I had to write an essay about the first snowfall and this helped a lot! -
Poem
From guest Jean C. Knabel (contact)
I remembered this poem today as in Tulsa, Ok we are having a "spring snow". I wonder how many of today's school kids have the privilege to learn this poem? I am not originally from OK but from Northern New York State......near the Canadian border. -
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Snowfall
From guest Ann C. Dick (contact)
As I watched a gentle snowfall last evening (gloaming?) I was taken back to some very early year of my schooling and the words of this poem came back to me. Then this morning as I drove through the countryside, I couldnt help, once again,to remember the words. Isn't it amazing how things stick i your head--I must have heard tose words soometime in the early thirties. It still brings tears to my eyes. -
The first Snow Fall
This poem is good, but it's sad because it tells you that Mabel's sister is already dead -
From guest Phyllis Brom (contact)
I memorized this in an English class about 60 years ago, and it has been one of my favorites. Both my parents knew long poems which they ahd memorized in school, in the early 1900's. -
from me
this was a very sweet emotional and poetic poem. -
From an English Class
this is a wonderful poem, i loved it.
this was very moving and i want to read it to all my friends.
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