"The New-England Boy's Song about Thanksgiving Day",[1][2] also known as "Over the River and Through the Wood", is a Thanksgiving poem by Lydia Maria Child.[3] Written originally as a poem, it appeared in her Flowers for Children, Volume 2, in 1844.[4] It celebrates her childhood memories of visiting her Grandmother's House. Lydia Maria Child was a novelist, journalist, teacher, and poet who wrote extensively about the need to eliminate slavery.[5]
The poem was eventually set to a tune by an unknown author. The song is sometimes presented with lines about Christmas, rather than Thanksgiving. For instance, the line "Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!" becomes "Hurrah for Christmas Day!". As a Christmas song, it has been recorded as "A Merry Christmas at Grandmother's". Although the modern Thanksgiving holiday is not always associated with snow (snow in late November occasionally occurs in the northern states and is rare at best elsewhere), New England in the early 19th century was enduring the Little Ice Age, a colder era with earlier winters.[6]
Poem
The original piece had six verses:
- Over the river, and through the wood,
- To Grandmother's house we go;
- the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
- through the white and drifted snow.
- Over the river, and through the wood,
- to Grandmother's house away!
- We would not stop for doll or top,
- for 'tis Thanksgiving Day.
- Over the river, and through the wood—
- oh, how the wind does blow!
- It stings the toes and bites the nose
- as over the ground we go.
- Over the river, and through the wood—
- and straight through the barnyard gate,
- We seem to go extremely slow,
- it is so hard to wait!
- Over the river, and through the wood—
- When Grandmother sees us come,
- She will say, "O, dear, the children are here,
- bring a pie for everyone."
- Over the river, and through the wood—
- now Grandmother's cap I spy!
- Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
- Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!
The following verses appear in a "long version":
- Over the river, and through the wood,
- with a clear blue winter sky,
- The dogs do bark, and children hark,
- as we go jingling by.
- Over the river, and through the wood,
- to have a first-rate play.
- Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding!",
- Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
- Over the river, and through the wood,
- no matter for winds that blow;
- Or if we get the sleigh upset
- into a bank of snow
- Over the river, and through the wood,
- to see little John and Ann;
- We will kiss them all, and play snow-ball
- and stay as long as we can.
- Over the river, and through the wood,
- trot fast, my dapple-gray!
- Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound!
- For 'tis Thanksgiving Day.
- Over the river, and through the wood,
- Old Jowler hears our bells.
- He shakes his pow, with a loud bow-wow,[1]
- and thus the news he tells.
Legacy
A children's book, Over the River—A Turkey's Tale, recasts the poem as a humorous tale of a family of turkeys on their way to a vegetarian Thanksgiving; the book was written by Derek Anderson, and published by Simon & Schuster in 2005.[7]
References
- ^ a b "The New-England Boy's Song about Thanksgiving Day" at Poetry Foundation
- ^ Doyne, Shannon. "Poetry Pairing | ‘The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day’", New York Times, November 21, 2013
- ^ "Lydia Maria Child". Wayland Historical Society. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ^ Lewis, Jone Johnson. "A Boy's Thanksgiving Day". Women's History. About.com. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- ^ Lewis, Jone Johnson. "Lydia Maria Child: Reformer, Speaker and Writer". Women's History. about.com. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
- ^ Environmental History Resources:The Little Ice Age, Ca. 1300 - 1870, http://www.eh-resources.org/timeline/timeline_lia.html
- ^ Over the River—A Turkey's Tale. Simon & Schuster. 2005. ISBN 978-0-689-87635-6.