What shape is this in cowl of snow? Stiff broom and icy hat? A saffron moon, half-hidden, stares — But what is she staring at? The knocker dangles on the door, But stark as tree and post He blankly eyes the bright green paint, Is silent as a ghost. But wait till belfry midnight strike, And up to the stars is tossed Shrill cockcrow! — then, he’ll gadding go — And, at his heels, Jack Frost: Broom over shoulder, away he’ll go, Finger-tips tingling, nose aglow, Dancing and yodelling through the snow, And, at his heels, Jack Frost!
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Authorship
- by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), "The Snow‑Man" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "The Snow-Man", 1989, first performed 1990 [ baritone and piano ], from Winter Windows -- 7 songs for Baritone and Piano, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: David Sims [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2016-04-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 98