A Feel In The Chris'mas-Air

By James Whitcomb Riley

Narrative Poem
    They's a kind o' feel in the air, to me.         When the Chris'mas-times sets in.     That's about as much of a mystery      As ever I've run ag'in! -     Fer instunce, now, whilse I gain in weight      And gineral health, I swear     They's a goneness somers I can't quite state -      A kind o' feel in the air.     They's a feel in the Chris'mas-air goes right      To the spot where a man lives at! -     It gives a feller a' appetite -      They ain't no doubt about that! -     And yit they's somepin' - I don't know what -      That follers me, here and there,     And ha'nts and worries and spares me not -      A kind o' feel in the air!     They's a feel, as I say, in the air that's jest      As blame-don sad as sweet! -     In the same ra-sho as I feel the best      And am spryest on my feet,     They's allus a kind o' sort of a' ache      That I can't lo-cate no-where; -     But it comes with Chris'mas, and no mistake! -      A kind o' feel in the air.     Is it the racket the childern raise? -      W'y, no! - God bless 'em! - no! -     Is it the eyes and the cheeks ablaze -      Like my own wuz, long ago? -     Is it the bleat o' the whistle and beat      O' the little toy-drum and blare     O' the horn? - No! no! - it is jest the sweet -      The sad-sweet feel in the air.

Share & Analyze This Poem

Spread the beauty of poetry or dive deeper into analysis

Analyze This Poem

Discover the literary devices, structure, and deeper meaning

Create Image

Transform this poem into a beautiful shareable image

Copy to Clipboard

Save this poem for personal use or sharing offline

Share the Love of Poetry
More Poems
More Narrative Poems
Daily Poem

Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
The poem captures the paradox of Christmas nostalgia, blending warmth with melancholy through its colloquial voice and cyclical structure. Written in a loose iambic rhythm with irregular lineation, the poem’s repetition of a kind o' feel in the air creates a refrain that anchors its meditative tone. The speaker’s dialect and informal cadence evoke a rustic, working-class perspective, while the lack of rhyme sharpens the poem’s directness. The volta occurs subtly in the final stanza, where the speaker rejects external explanations for the holiday’s emotional weight, narrowing the focus to an ineffable sad-sweet feel. The poem’s imagery weight gain, appetite, and childlike joy contrasts with the haunting ache that lingers, unresolved. The absence of punctuation in key lines mirrors the breathless, intuitive nature of memory. The final line’s emphatic sweet-sad feel distills the poem’s central tension, leaving the reader with the quiet ache of longing.

Exploring Narrative Poetry

Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well. Unlike lyric poetry, which focuses on emotions and thoughts, narrative poetry is dedicated to storytelling, weaving tales that captivate readers through plot and character development.

Narrative poems are unique in their ability to combine the depth of storytelling with the expressive qualities of poetry. Here are some defining characteristics:

  • Structured Plot: Narrative poems typically have a clear beginning, middle, and end, following a plot that might involve conflict, climax, and resolution, much like a short story or novel.
  • Character Development: Characters in narrative poems are often well-developed, with distinct voices and personalities that drive the story forward.
  • Descriptive Language: The language used in narrative poetry is vivid and descriptive, painting a clear picture of the scenes and events, while also conveying the emotions and atmosphere of the story.

From ancient epics like "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" to more modern narrative poems, this form continues to engage readers by blending the art of storytelling with the beauty and rhythm of poetry.