Christmas?
Perhaps the greatest irony about this poem is that even though its official title does not include the word “Christmas” it is still recognized as the definitive poem about the holiday. And yet, this poem about Christmas does not include either a direct or indirect reference to the birth of Jesus. You know: that whole reason for the season originating event. This would be ironic enough were the poem a product of post-WWII America, but considering that it was written back when religion was supposedly a major part of most people’s lives, this ironic absence becomes all the more noticeable.
Home Invasion
The most beloved Christmas poem yet written is also deeply ironic for another reason. For all intents and purposes, it is a crime story. The heartwarming story told by the narrator is nothing more nor less than an eyewitness account of a home invasion involving breaking and entering though, admittedly, the intruder seems to have completely misunderstood the basic fundamentals of burglarizing.
The Matter with the “Clatter”
The “clatter” which produces a sound alarming enough to wake the narrator from the sleep he has only just settled into at first seems as though it must be have unusually loud. After all, in an instant he not only goes from sleeping to waking, but the narrator has rushed to the window and the shutters have been torn open. Could St. Nick—who, after all, stakes his reputation upon stealth—really have made such a loud sound or is there something else going on here? The answer is the latter and the explanation is irony. The reason why the narrator is so alarmed is not because of the volume of the clatter, but the expectations engendered by historical experience. The irony lies in the fact that during this period of history, Christmas celebrations were far more notable for drunken reveling which often resulted in trespassing and disturbing the peace. Ironically, what the narrator is really alarmed by is the fear that the clatter outside is actually a manifestation of Christmas celebration.
Where’s Santa?
The poem is legendary for its part in creating the image of secular Christmas imagery and is often referred to when discussing the creation of Santa Claus. In fact, Santa is never mentioned once in the poem; the strange visitor is identified as St. Nick. In addition, the portrait of St. Nick that is presented is quite at odds with the traditional image of Santa Claus: he is only elf-high himself and rather than being attired in his familiar bright red costume, he is described as looking like a lowly peddler in fur blackened with ashes and soot. Turns out there is very little Santa in this story of Santa.
Revelation?
The poem is almost fifty lines into the story and less than ten lines away from the end before the narrator makes a surprisingly ironic revelation. Consider that he has spent those nearly fifty lines describing the arrival of a stranger equipped with supernaturally gifted reindeer who has somehow managed to make his way down a chimney despite being fat and carrying a sack bloated with contents. He never says a word except to his reindeer who follow his instructions like dogs responding to their master. And yet, it is ironically just seconds before he starts filling stockings with gifts that the narrator finally realizes “I had nothing to dread.”
