These heartfelt, profound and sometimes funny Thanksgiving poems are perfect for sharing around the table this holiday
26 Thanksgiving Poems to Read Around the Table
Updated on Nov. 06, 2024
1. “Thanksgiving Day” by Lydia Maria Child
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.
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,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring
“Ting-a-ling-ding”,
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
Lydia Maria Child was born in 1802 in Massachusetts and grew up to be a novelist and poet who tackled issues of family and race in her writing. Among her lighter works is the poem “Thanksgiving Day,” in which she captures the joy of going to her grandfather’s house for celebrations. Through wholesome imagery and an intricate sense of detail, she captures the essence of this holiday in a way that not many Thanksgiving poems can. You can share a meaningful excerpt as a Thanksgiving quote, but if you’d like to read the entire poem before the family digs in to dinner, you can read it in its entirety here.
2. “Thanksgiving Day” by Thomas Frederick Young
God of the harvest, once again
Our joyful tones we raise,
For all Thy goodness, day by day,
We give Thee thankful praise.
With blessings rich, from fertile field,
And gifts from fruitful tree,
We wish, this day, our thanks to yield
With earnest hearts, to Thee.
Thanksgiving Day poems vary in tone, structure and theme. “Thanksgiving Day” by Thomas Frederick Young adapts a religious approach and reads more like a prayer. In it, the poet expresses gratitude for an important aspect of the holiday: the harvest. An ode to nature, the full poem delights in all of the beautiful gifts that come with the season.
3. “An Old Thanksgiving Ode” by James McIntyre
September came and with it frost
The season’s pasture it seemed lost,
And the wondrous yield of corn
Of its green beauty it was shorn.
Frost it came like early robber,
But gentle rains came in October,
Which were absorbed by grateful soil;
With green once more the pastures smile.
And cows again are happy seen
Enjoying of the pastures green,
And flow of milk again they yield
From the sweet feed of grassy field.
And we have now a fine November,
Warmer far than in September;
The apple, which is queen of fruits,
Was a good crop and so is roots.
The rains they did replenish springs,
And it gratitude to each heart brings,
When we reflect on bounteous season,
For grateful feelings all have reason.
Thanksgiving is famously known as an American holiday, but it’s also celebrated in other parts of the world—namely, Canada. In the poem “An Old Thanksgiving Ode,” Canadian poet James McIntyre reminds his readers that the Canadian holiday was once celebrated in November. It moved to October after World War I so it wouldn’t compete with Armistice Day.
4. “Thanksgiving Turkey” by George Parsons Lathrop
Valleys lay in sunny vapor,
And a radiance mild was shed
From each tree that like a taper
At a feast stood. Then we said,
“Our feast, too, shall soon be spread,
Of good Thanksgiving turkey.”
And already still November
Drapes her snowy table here.
Fetch a log, then; coax the ember;
Fill your hearts with old-time cheer;
Heaven be thanked for one more year,
And our Thanksgiving turkey!
Thanksgiving poems celebrate pretty much every aspect of the holiday—gratitude, family, nature and love. But George Parsons Lathrop tackles the feature of utmost importance: the feast. Each year, millions of Americans gather around the table with family and friends to gobble up turkey and other goodies, and why shouldn’t that be celebrated? Sharing a meal with loved ones is a beautiful Thanksgiving tradition that instills feelings of closeness and joy. The excerpt above will give you a taste of Lathrop’s talent, but you can read the full poem here.
5. “Thanksgiving Time” by Langston Hughes
When the night winds whistle through the trees and blow the crisp brown leaves a-crackling down,
When the autumn moon is big and yellow-orange and round,
When old Jack Frost is sparkling on the ground,
It’s Thanksgiving Time!
When the pantry jars are full of mince-meat and the shelves are laden with sweet spices for a cake,
When the butcher man sends up a turkey nice and fat to bake,
When the stores are crammed with everything ingenious cooks can make,
It’s Thanksgiving Time!
When the gales of coming winter outside your window howl,
When the air is sharp and cheery so it drives away your scowl,
When one’s appetite craves turkey and will have no other fowl,
It’s Thanksgiving Time!
Langston Hughes is one of the most important American poets of the 20th century, and while he usually wrote about race and societal change, he gave “Thanksgiving Time” a lighter tone to captivate readers in an entirely different way. If you read the rest of his poems, you’ll feel the struggle and injustice that are the hallmarks of Hughes’s writing, while here, you’ll feel a joy that no human should be denied.
6. “Thanksgiving” by Hanford Lennox Gordon
Father, our thanks are due to thee
For many a blessing given,
By thy paternal love and care,
From the bounty-horn of heaven.
We know that still that horn is filled
With blessings for our race,
And we calmly look thro’ winter’s storm
To thy benignant face.
No two Thanksgiving poems are the same—all are a product of their writer and history. “Thanksgiving” by Hanford Lennox Gordon is a prime example: It was written during the Panic of 1857, a U.S. financial crisis that made life feel like “winter’s storm.” In the poetry excerpt above (and in the full poem), the poet prays not for extra comforts but only for the bare necessities of his people. It is truly a lesson in gratitude.
7. “Thanksgiving” by Hattie Howard
Nature, erewhile so marvelously lovely, is bereft
Of her supernal charm;
And with the few dead garlands of departed splendor left,
Like crape upon her arm,
In boreal hints, and sudden gusts
That fan the glowing ember,
By multitude of ways fulfills
The promise of November.
Hattie Howard’s poetry is an important inclusion in 19th-century American literature, showcasing a transition from stricter to more flexible forms. Her poetry contains elements of romanticism, especially the elements of nature in her symbolism, which is very apparent in this work of gratitude and celebration. The excerpt above will no doubt move you, but you can read the full poem for even more inspiration this holiday.
8. “On the Hills of Dawn” by Alexander Posey
Behold, the morning-glory’s sky-blue cup
Is mine wherewith to drink the nectar up
That morning spills of silver dew,
And song upon the winds that woo
And sigh their vows
Among the boughs!
Behold, I’m rich in diamonds rare,
And pearls, and breathe a golden air;
My room is filled with shattered beams
Of light; my life is one of dreams,
In my hut on
The hills of dawn.
Giving thanks, spending time with family and gorging yourself silly on food—all are important aspects of the holiday, but we can’t enjoy them without acknowledging the history of Thanksgiving. What better way to respect and honor Native Americans than by selecting Thanksgiving poems by Indigenous poets? A member of the Muskogee Creek tribe, Alexander Posey was born in Oklahoma in 1873, and in 1901, he founded the Eufaula Indian Journal, the first Native American newspaper.
9. “Let Us Give Thanks” by Hattie Howard
If we have lived another year
And, counting friends by regiments
Who share our love and confidence,
Find no more broken ranks,
For this let us give thanks.
If, since the last Thanksgiving-time,
Have we been blessed with strength and health,
And added to our honest wealth,
Nor lost by broken banks,
For this would we give thanks.
A simple, short poem with a fixed refrain, Hattie Howard’s “Let Us Give Thanks” gets to the core of what makes this holiday very special: good company, deep gratitude and heartfelt celebrations. The excerpt above will no doubt move you, but it’s worth checking out the full Thanksgiving poem too.
10. “Thanksgiving” by Kate Seymour MacLean
The Autumn hills are golden at the top,
And rounded as a poet’s silver rhyme;
The mellow days are ruby ripe, that drop
One after one into the lap of time.
Dead leaves are reddening in the woodland copse,
And forest boughs a fading glory wear;
No breath of wind stirs in their hazy tops,
Silence and peace are brooding everywhere.
Kate Seymour MacLean was born in New York in 1829, moved to Canada after marriage and was one of the nation’s most important poets of her day. In “Thanksgiving,” she brings the holiday to life—in the excerpt above and in the longer poem—by beautifully describing its season and how its landscapes look.
11. “Thanksgiving” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
We walk on starry fields of white
And do not see the daisies;
For blessings common in our sight
We rarely offer praises.
We sigh for some supreme delight
To crown our lives with splendor,
And quite ignore our daily store
Of pleasures sweet and tender.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American poet in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She advocated for animals’ rights and vegetarianism more than a hundred years ago, making her way ahead of her time. It should come as no surprise that her poem skips over the turkey tradition and instead focuses on gratitude. In “Thanksgiving,” which is excerpted above and available in full here, she reminds us that we need to practice gratitude every day, not only on special occasions. When we walk across a daisy-strewn path, for instance, we should stop and give thanks for such daily delights.
12. “Thanksgiving” by James Whitcomb Riley
Let us be thankful—not only because
Since last our universal thanks were told
We have grown greater in the world’s applause,
And fortune’s newer smiles surpass the old—
But thankful for all things that come as alms
From out the open hand of Providence:—
The winter clouds and storms—the summer calms—
The sleepless dread—the drowse of indolence.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox isn’t the only poet on our list of Thanksgiving poems who wrote about the importance of considering life’s blessings on a daily basis. James Whitcomb Riley did the same in another poem titled “Thanksgiving.” As he points out in the excerpt above, you’re bound to have experienced something worthy of gratitude since the last time you gave thanks. As he notes later in the full poem, we should be thankful for the obvious good as well as the seemingly bad—even the “tears of sorrow.”
13. “Thanksgiving” by Edgar Guest
Gettin’ together to smile an’ rejoice,
An’ eatin’ an’ laughin’ with folks of your choice;
An’ kissin’ the girls an’ declarin’ that they
Are growin’ more beautiful day after day;
Chattin’ an’ braggin’ a bit with the men,
Buildin’ the old family circle again;
Livin’ the wholesome an’ old-fashioned cheer,
Just for awhile at the end of the year.
Known as the “poet of the people,” Edgar Guest was a British-born American writer known for inspirational and often optimistic poems. In “Thanksgiving,” he celebrates not only the holiday but also what it represents: enduring traditions that go beyond time and space. Both the excerpt above and the longer poem are peppy and full of joy—and bound to make you and all of your guests smile.
14. “A Song for Merry Harvest” by Eliza Cook
Bring forth the harp, and let us sweep its fullest, loudest string.
The bee below, the bird above, are teaching us to sing
A song for merry harvest; and the one who will not bear
His grateful part partakes a boon he ill deserves to share.
The grasshopper is pouring forth his quick and trembling notes;
The laughter of the gleaner’s child, the heart’s own music floats.
Up! up! I say, a roundelay from every voice that lives
Should welcome merry harvest, and bless the God that gives.
The buoyant soul that loves the bowl may see the dark grapes shine,
And gems of melting ruby deck the ringlets of the vine;
Who prizes more the foaming ale may gaze upon the plain,
And feast his eye with yellow hops and sheets of bearded grain;
The kindly one whose bosom aches to see a dog unfed
May bend the knee in thanks to see the ample promised bread.
Awake, then, all! ’tis Nature’s call, and every voice that lives
Shall welcome merry harvest, and bless the God that gives.
A poet who represented the working class, Eliza Cook is known for writing about feminism and women’s issues. In “Thanksgiving,” she adopts an entirely different voice. Here, she’s talking in a grateful and often religious tone about the importance of gratitude for the Earth’s many gifts to us.
15. “The Pumpkin” by John Greenleaf Whittier
Oh, greenly and fair in the lands of the sun,
The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run,
And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold,
With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold,
Like that which o’er Nineveh’s prophet once grew,
While he waited to know that his warning was true,
And longed for the storm-cloud, and listened in vain
For the rush of the whirlwind and red fire-rain.
A poem full of love for nature, “The Pumpkin” uses simple yet elegant symbolism to paint a picture of the season of Thanksgiving. The first stanza, excerpted above, evokes vivid images of pumpkins, and the full poem further brings to life warm feelings about the seasonal must-have—and another favorite: pumpkin pie.
16. “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” by Henry Alford
Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home:
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied:
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.
All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown;
First the blade, and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear:
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
The first line of this Thanksgiving Day poem—”Come, ye thankful people, come”—captures its essence perfectly. It’s a simple yet powerful sentiment for the season of gratitude. And it’s a great poem for kids and adults to recite around the table. When you’re done, say what you are most thankful for.
17. “A Thanksgiving Dinner” by Maude M. Grant
Take a turkey, stuff it fat,
Some of this and some of that.
Get some turnips, peel them well.
Cook a big squash in its shell.
Now potatoes, big and white,
Mash till they are soft and light.
Cranberries, so tart and sweet,
With the turkey we must eat.
Pickles—yes—and then, oh my!
For a dessert a pumpkin pie,
Golden brown and spicy sweet.
What a fine Thanksgiving treat!
Maude M. Grant was known for writing children’s books, a background that comes through in this kid-friendly Thanksgiving poem. “A Thanksgiving Dinner” is one of the few funny Thanksgiving poems on our list, and it captures the spirit and traditions of the holiday in a whimsical manner. Like Thanksgiving dinner itself, the poem manages to be both entertaining and sweet.
18. “A Thanksgiving Poem” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
The sun hath shed its kindly light,
Our harvesting is gladly o’er
Our fields have felt no killing blight,
Our bins are filled with goodly store.
From pestilence, fire, flood, and sword
We have been spared by thy decree,
And now with humble hearts, O Lord,
We come to pay our thanks to thee.
Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first African American poets to gain recognition—in fact, Frederick Douglass called him “the most promising young colored man in America.” He published multiple collections of both poetry and prose, his work always engaging. In “A Thanksgiving Poem,” which you can read in full from the Academy of American Poets, Dunbar reminds us of the beauty of our world and the importance of recognizing it and being thankful.
19. “Fire Dreams” by Carl Sandburg
I remember here by the fire,
In the flickering reds and saffrons,
They came in a ramshackle tub,
Pilgrims in tall hats,
Pilgrims of iron jaws,
Drifting by weeks on beaten seas,
And the random chapters say
They were glad and sang to God.
And so
Since the iron-jawed men sat down
And said, “Thanks, O God,”
For life and soup and a little less
Than a hobo handout to-day,
Since gray winds blew gray patterns of sleet on Plymouth Rock,
Since the iron-jawed men sang “Thanks, O God,”
You and I, O Child of the West,
Remember more than ever
November and the hunter’s moon,
November and the yellow-spotted hills.
And so
In the name of the iron-jawed men
I will stand up and say yes till the finish is come and gone.
God of all broken hearts, empty hands, sleeping soldiers,
God of all star-flung beaches of night sky,
I and my love-child stand up together to-day and sing: “Thanks, O God.”
We’re not the only ones who think reading Thanksgiving poems is a good way to spend the holiday. Pulitzer Prize–winning author Carl Sandburg agrees. “Fire Dreams,” a 1918 poem that appeared in his poetry collection Cornhuskers, is meant to be shared, like all good things, on Thanksgiving. In fact, the very first line reads, “(Written to be read aloud, if so be, Thanksgiving Day).”
20. “One Day Is There of the Series” by Emily Dickinson
One day is there of the series
Termed “Thanksgiving Day”
Celebrated part at table
Part in memory—
Neither Ancestor nor Urchin
I review the Play—
Seems it to my Hooded thinking
Reflex Holiday
Had There been no sharp subtraction
From the early Sum—
Not an acre or a Caption
Where was once a Room
Not a mention whose small Pebble
Wrinkled any Sea,
Unto such, were such Assembly,
‘Twere “Thanksgiving day”—
Emily Dickinson needs no introduction—she’s one of the most famous poets in the English-speaking world—but perhaps this poem does. “One Day Is There of the Series” sees her writing about something other than her usual themes of death, love and nature. Instead, she focuses on something much simpler: a truly American holiday that deserves to be celebrated with passion.
21. “The Harvest Moon” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes
And roofs of villages, on woodland crests
And their aerial neighborhoods of nests
Deserted, on the curtained window-panes
Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes
And harvest-fields, its mystic splendor rests!
Gone are the birds that were our summer guests,
With the last sheaves return the laboring wains!
All things are symbols: the external shows
Of Nature have their image in the mind,
As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves;
The song-birds leave us at the summer’s close,
Only the empty nests are left behind,
And pipings of the quail among the sheaves.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, another staple of English literature, writes here about the harvest moon or the harvest season. By describing the change of weather and scenery, he reminds us that time is going by. It is important to celebrate this passage and appreciate what makes each season (and season of life) special.
22. “Signs of the Times” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Air a-gittin’ cool an’ coolah,
Frost a-comin’ in de night,
Hicka’ nuts an’ wa’nuts fallin’,
Possum keepin’ out o’ sight.
Tu’key struttin’ in de ba’nya’d,
Nary a step so proud ez his;
Keep on struttin’, Mistah Tu’key,
Yo’ do’ know whut time it is.
Cidah press commence a-squeakin’
Eatin’ apples sto’ed away,
Chillun swa’min’ ‘roun’ lak ho’nets,
Huntin’ aigs ermung de hay.
Mistah Tu’key keep on gobblin’
At de geese a-flyin’ souf,
Oomph! dat bird do’ know whut’s comin’;
Ef he did he’d shet his mouf.
If the kids are clamoring for funny Thanksgiving poems, you’ve landed on a winner. As the excerpt above makes clear, Dunbar writes phonetically about the lead-up to Thanksgiving dinner, wondering throughout the full poem whether the turkey knows what lies ahead: the oven. The cheeky voice and observations—like the fact that if the turkey knew what was coming, he wouldn’t “keep on gobblin’ at de geese”—will make the kiddos crack up. You’ll get an even bigger laugh if you read this funny poem out loud.
23. “Eternity” by William Blake
He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy
He who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sunrise
Few poets in the English-speaking world are as celebrated as William Blake. He was one of the most important artists (he was a painter as well) of the Romantic Movement, and in a few lines of this inspirational poem, he manages to say so much. Joy exists to be celebrated, but obsessing over the things that might make us happy won’t do the trick. So focus on being happy during this holiday.
24. “The Thanksgivings” by Harriet Maxwell Converse
We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here to praise Him.
We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.
We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products to live on.
We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs for our lands.
We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.
Thanksgiving poems that read like prayers make for moving pre-dinner readings. “The Thanksgivings” is a prime example of that. Written by Harriet Maxwell Converse, the first white woman elected a Six Nations Chief, the poem praises a higher power—the Great Spirit—who Converse credits with countless acts. Though long, the full poem, which was translated from Iroquois, is worth a read when you want to express sincere gratitude during the holiday.
25. “Iris of Life” by Zitkála-Šá
Like tiny drops of crystal rain,
In every life the moments fall,
To wear away with silent beat,
The shell of selfishness o’er all.
And every act, not one too small,
That leaps from out the heart’s pure glow,
Like ray of gold sends forth a light,
While moments into seasons flow.
Athwart the dome, Eternity,
To Iris grown resplendent, fly
Bright gleams from every noble deed,
Till colors with each other vie.
‘Tis glimpses of this grand rainbow,
Where moments with good deeds unite,
That gladden many weary hearts,
Inspiring them to seek more Light.
Zitkála-Šá was a Native American poet, musician and short story writer. Her life achievements are too long and too impressive to list here, yet she remains mostly unknown. “Iris of Life” is a testament to her immense skill when it comes to beautiful imagery. This is a poem that wonderfully captures joy and gratitude.
26. “For flowers that bloom above our feet” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
For flowers that bloom about our feet,
For tender grass so fresh and sweet,
For song of bird and hum of bee,
For all things fair we hear and see,
Father in heaven,
Father in heaven, we thank thee.
For blue of stream and blue of sky,
For pleasant shade of branches high,
For fragrant air and cooling breeze,
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven,
Father in heaven, we thank thee.
One of the foremost writers of the 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson was a poet, essayist, philosopher and lecturer who is perhaps best known for his connection to transcendentalism. He was also a preacher, a profession that comes through clearly in the hymn above. If your family is religious, it’s a wonderful work to recite to show thanks and gratitude.
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Sources:
- Public Domain Poetry: “Thanksgiving Ode”
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: “Thanksgiving in Canada”
- Canadian War Museum: “Remembrance Day”
- Academy of American Poets: “A Song for Merry Harvest”
- Academy of American Poets: “Fire Dreams”
- Academy of American Poets: “The Thanksgivings”
- Academy of American Poets: “One Day Is There of the Series”
- Academy of American Poets: “Iris of Life”
