Audiobook · read by volunteers
New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day
Lydia Maria Child (1802–1880)
Read by Betsie Bush, Julian Jamison · 2 chapters · 5 min
About the book
Over the river and through the wood, to grandfather’s house we go: the New England boy’s song about Thanksgiving Day is one of the best-loved holiday poems in the American tradition. Lydia Maria Child wrote it in the 1840s, and its brisk rhythm still evokes the horse and sleigh, the frosty air and the promise of a feast. Here are two recordings of it, made by LibriVox volunteers for Thanksgiving in 2006. The versions are very short, just a few minutes in all, and each has its own mood and pace. You can listen to both, compare them and perhaps sing along. A tiny seasonal treat and a pleasing introduction to the poetry of nineteenth century America. It is short, bright and ideal for sharing.
Introduction
Lydia Maria Child, who lived from 1802 to 1880, was an American writer, editor and activist. She is remembered for her opposition to slavery, for her writing for children and for her work as a journalist and novelist. The poem recorded here, known today as Over the River and Through the Wood, was first published in 1844 as The New-England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day.
It is a short lyric in which a child describes the journey to the grandparents’ house for the Thanksgiving dinner. The verses move at the pace of a sleigh ride, with simple rhymes and a refrain that is easy to remember. The poem was later set to music and became a staple of school celebrations in the United States, a part of the American holiday tradition.
The two recordings in this collection belong to the weekly poetry project of LibriVox, in which volunteers record the same short text. This particular week was in the middle of November 2006, in preparation for Thanksgiving. Two volunteers took part, Betsie Bush and Julian Jamison.
Each reading lasts only a couple of minutes, so they make a very easy listen. They are also a convenient way to introduce children to older verse, and to the holiday customs that have shaped American culture. Play them at the table or on the way to a family gathering. It could be the start of a small family tradition: put on the recordings before the holiday meal, and let the youngest members listen for the details of the journey and the feast.
Public domain
Lydia Maria Child died in 1880: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text