As we usher in a new year, it’s a time of reflection, hope, and new beginnings. Poetry, with its profound ability to capture the essence of our emotions and experiences, serves as a perfect companion to welcome this change. Recognizing the unique power of verse in commemorating such moments, I’ve delved deep into the world of poetry to bring you an eclectic mix of new year poems.
In this collection, you’ll find a blend of both contemporary and classic works, each resonating with the spirit of the new year in its own unique way. From the contemplative tones of Naomi Shihab Nye’s “Burning the Old Year” to the historical depth of Walter Savage Landor’s “Mild is the Parting Year,” these poems offer diverse perspectives on the passage of time and the arrival of a new year.
Before diving into these poetic gems, do check out some additional new year resources I’ve compiled, like the best new year quotes, jokes, and wishes, to add more flavor to your celebrations. Now, let’s immerse ourselves in the world of words and welcome the new year with open hearts and minds.
For more new year resources I recommend checking:Best new year quotes,
best new year jokes, and best new year wishes.
1. Burning the Old Year, by Naomi Shihab Nye
Excerpt from Burning the Old Year:
Letters swallow themselves in seconds.
Notes friends tied to the doorknob,
transparent scarlet paper,
sizzle like moth wings,
marry the air.
So much of any year is flammable,
lists of vegetables, partial poems.
Orange swirling flame of days,
so little is a stone.
2. On new year’s eve, by EVIE SHOCKLEY
Excerpt from On New Year’s Eve:
we make midnight a maquette of the year:
frostlight glinting off snow to solemnize
the vows we offer to ourselves in near
silence: the competition shimmerwise
of champagne and chandeliers to attract
laughter and cheers: the glow from the fireplace
reflecting the burning intra-red pact
between beloveds: we cosset the space
3. A Song for New Year’s Eve, by William Cullen Bryant – 1794-1878
Excerpt from A Song for New Year’s Eve:
Stay yet, my friends, a moment stay—
Stay till the good old year,
So long companion of our way,
Shakes hands, and leaves us here.
Oh stay, oh stay,
One little hour, and then away.
The year, whose hopes were high and strong,
Has now no hopes to wake;
Yet one hour more of jest and song
For his familiar sake.
Oh stay, oh stay,
One mirthful hour, and then away.
4. The Old Year, by John Clare – 1793-1864
Excerpt from The Old Year:
The Old Year’s gone away
To nothingness and night:
We cannot find him all the day
Nor hear him in the night:
He left no footstep, mark or place
In either shade or sun:
The last year he’d a neighbour’s face,
In this he’s known by none.
5. The Passing of the Year, by Robert W. Service – 1874-1958
Excerpt from The Passing of the Year:
My glass is filled, my pipe is lit,
My den is all a cosy glow;
And snug before the fire I sit,
And wait to feel the old year go.
I dedicate to solemn thought
Amid my too-unthinking days,
This sober moment, sadly fraught
With much of blame, with little praise.
6. In Tenebris, by Ford Madox Ford – 1873-1939
Excerpt from In Tenebris:
All within is warm,
Here without it’s very cold,
Now the year is grown so old
And the dead leaves swarm.
In your heart is light,
Here without it’s very dark,
When shall I hear the lark?
When see aright?
7. The Year, By Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Excerpt from The Year:
What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That’s not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night
8. At the New Year, By Kenneth Patchen
Excerpt from At the New Year:
In the shape of this night, in the still fall
of snow, Father
In all that is cold and tiny, these little birds
and children
In everything that moves tonight, the trolleys
and the lovers, Father
In the great hush of country, in the ugly noise
of our cities.
9. Year’s End , By Richard Wilbur
Excerpt from Year’s End:
Now winter downs the dying of the year,
And night is all a settlement of snow;
From the soft street the rooms of houses show
A gathered light, a shapen atmosphere,
Like frozen-over lakes whose ice is thin
And still allows some stirring down within.
10. Mild is the Parting Year, By Walter Savage Landor
Excerpt from Mild is the Parting Year
Mild is the parting year, and sweet
The odour of the falling spray;
Life passes on more rudely fleet,
And balmless is its closing day.
Final thoughts
As we close this poetic journey, reflecting on the varied voices and verses that have accompanied us, it’s evident that poetry has a unique way of capturing the essence of our experiences, especially during significant transitions like the new year. Each poem in this collection, from the introspective whispers of Naomi Shihab Nye to the historic echoes of Walter Savage Landor, brings its own flavor to our understanding of time, change, and hope. Here’s to a year filled with learning, growth, and the enduring beauty of poetry. May these verses light your path into the new year and beyond. Happy New Year!
