Over the River and Through the Wood

Over the River and Through the Wood

Over the river, and through the wood,
To Grandfather's house we go;
the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.

full poem

Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather'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!

—Lydia Maria Child

"Over the River and Through the Wood" is a Thanksgiving poem by Lydia Maria Child. It appeared in the second volume of her Flowers for Children in 1844. The original title of the poem is, "The New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day".

House of Child's grandfather in Medford, Massachusetts, 2005

Boston College writes: "Starting with the familiar line, "Over the river and through the wood", this poem is easily Child’s most famous work. Child never revised the poem herself, but the verses changed over time, especially when they were set to music.

With its bouncing rhythms and high spirits, the poem draws on the writer’s childhood memories of visiting her grandfather’s house on Thanksgiving. Having gained notoriety for her ideas about race, Child kept her antislavery ideals out of this volume in an effort to avoid controversy and boost sales. Flowers for Children contains only two stories involving race, and they both avoid addressing racial prejudice head on. In this nostalgic poem, Child takes us back to the simple pleasures of a family holiday."