The Jungfrau To Beth

    God bless you, dear Queen Bess!
    May nothing you dismay,
    But health and peace and happiness
    Be yours, this Christmas day.

    Here's fruit to feed our busy bee,
    And flowers for her nose.
    Here's music for her pianee,
    An afghan for her toes,

    A portrait of Joanna, see,
    By Raphael No. 2,
    Who laboured with great industry
    To make it fair and true.

    Accept a ribbon red, I beg,
    For Madam Purrer's tail,
    And ice cream made by lovely Peg,
    A Mont Blanc in a pail.

    Their dearest love my makers laid
    Within my breast of snow.
    Accept it, and the Alpine maid,
    From Laurie and from Jo.

Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist and poet best known as the author of the novel 'Little Women' and its sequels 'Little Men' and 'Jo's Boys.' Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, she grew up in Massachusetts. She was an abolitionist and a feminist and was active in both the Transcendentalist and suffragist movements. Alcott began writing to support her family and went on to publish numerous works that have had a lasting impact on American literature.

Louisa May Alcott

Sweet Are The Flowers Of Life,[1]

Louisa May Alcott, Simple Poetry

Gingerbread

Louisa May Alcott, Simple Poetry

Beds To The Front Of Them

Louisa May Alcott, Simple Poetry

The Downward Road.

Louisa May Alcott, Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

From Our Happy Home

    From our happy home
    Through the world we roam
    One week in all the year,
    Making winter spring
    With the joy we bring,
    For Christmas-tide is here.


    Now the eastern star
    Shines from afar
    To light the poorest home;
    Hearts warmer grow,
    Gifts freely flow,
    For Christmas-tide has come.


    Now gay trees rise
    Before young eyes,
    Abloom with tempting cheer;
    Blithe voices sing,
    And blithe bells ring,
    For Christmas-tide is here.


    Oh, happy chime,
    Oh, blessed time,
    That draws us all so near!
    "Welcome, dear day,"
    All creatures say,
    For Christmas-tide is here.

Louisa May Alcott

Mountain--Laurel

My bonnie flower, with truest joy
Thy welcome face I see,
The world grows brighter to my eyes,
And summer comes with thee.
My solitude now finds a friend,
And after each hard day,
I in my mountain garden walk,
To rest, or sing, or pray.

All down the rocky slope is spread
Thy veil of rosy snow,
And in the valley by the brook,
Thy deeper blossoms grow.
The barren wilderness grows fair,
Such beauty dost thou give;
And human eyes and Nature's heart
Rejoice that thou dost live.

Each year I wait thy coming, dear,
Each year I love thee more,
For life grows hard, and much I need
Thy honey for my store.
So, like a hungry bee, I sip
Sweet lessons from thy cup,
And sitting at a flower's feet,
My soul learns to look up.
...

Louisa May Alcott

To A Beautiful Child On Her Birthday, With A Wreath Of Flowers.

Whilst others give thee wond'rous toys,
    Or jewels rich and rare,
I bring but flowers - more meet are they
    For one so young and fair.

'Tis not because that snowy brow
    Might with the lily vie,
Or violet match the starry glance
    Of that dark, lustrous eye;

Nor yet because a brighter blush
    E'en rose leaf never wore,
But 'tis that in their leaves lies hid
    A rare and mystic lore.

And with its aid I now shall form
    A wreath of flow'rets wild -
Graceful, and full of meaning sweet,
    To deck thy brow, fair child!

The primrose, first, the emblem fit
    Of budding, early youth;
The daisy in whose leaves we read
    Pure innocence and truth.

The rosebud, sign of youthful charms,
    We wel...

Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon

To J.M.B.

    'Oh, were I a heliotrope,
    I would play poet,
    And blow a breeze of fragrance
    To you; and none should know it.


    'Your form like the stately elm
    When Phoebus gilds the morning ray;
    Your cheeks like the ocean bed
    That blooms a rose in May.


    'Your words are wise and bright,
    I bequeath them to you a legacy given;
    And when your spirit takes its flight,
    May it bloom aflower in heaven.


    'My tongue in flattering language spoke,
    And sweeter silence never broke
    in busiest street or loneliest glen.
    I take you with the flashes of my pen.


    'Consider the lilies, how they grow;
    They toil not, yet are fair,
    Gems and flowers and Solomon's seal.
 ...

Louisa May Alcott

Christmas Roses

A BUNCH of Christmas Roses, dear,
    To greet my fairest child,
I plucked them in my garden where
    The drifting snow lay piled.

I cannot bring thee violets dear,
    Or cowslips growing wild,
Or daisy chain for thee to wear,
    For thee to wear, my child.

For all the grassy meadows near
    Are clad with snow, my child;
Through all the days of winter drear
    No ray of sun has smiled.

I plucked this bunch of verses, dear,
    From out my garden wild,
I plucked them in the winter drear
    For you, my fairest child,
Your wet and wintry hours to cheer,
    They're Christmas Roses, child.

Lizzie Lawson

Christmas Bells.

Ring out, O bells, in joyful chime!
    Again we hail the Christmas time;
In melting, mellow atmosphere,
    The crown and glory of the year.

When bitterness, distrust, and awe
    Dissolve, like ice in winter's thaw,
Beneath the genial touches of
    Amenity, good will, and love.

When flowers of affection grow,
    Like edelweiss mid alpine snow,
In lives severe and beautiless,
    Unused to warmth or tenderness.

Let goodness, grace, and gratitude
    Revive in music's interlude,
And pæan notes, till time shall cease,
    Proclaim the blessed reign of peace.

Ring, Christmas bells! for at the sound
    Sweet memories of Him abound
Who laid aside a diadem
    To be the babe of Bethlehem.

Hattie Howard