January is often regarded as the coldest and bleakest month of the year, coming right after the festive December holidays. It’s the start of the new year, and many people are either recovering from holiday excess or gearing up to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. The beginning of the year tends to bring mixed emotions: some are filled with hope, others with dread, but one thing is certain — January can often be amusing in its own unique way. To lighten up the mood of this often harsh and chilly month, let’s take a humorous look at January through poetry. Whether it’s the freezing cold, the post-holiday blues, or the ambitious New Year’s resolutions, funny poems can offer a refreshing take on the first month of the year.
This article will present 10 funny poems about January, explore their themes, and give you a lighthearted perspective on this otherwise serious month. The poems will be accompanied by a thoughtful exploration of their meaning, focusing on the humor that arises from common January experiences.
1. “January” by John Updike
John Updike, the American poet and author, brings a humorous yet poignant take on the bleakness of January in this poem. The cold weather and the aftereffects of the holiday season provide the perfect setting for his humorous observations.
Excerpt:
“The air is like the space
Inside a refrigerator.
What happened to the warmth,
It’s all been wasted!”
In this poem, Updike humorously describes January as a cold, empty space, as if the warmth of the holidays has vanished, leaving only an overwhelming chill. His metaphor of the “space inside a refrigerator” effectively captures the coldness of January in a comical yet relatable way.
2. “A January Morning” by Robert Frost
Robert Frost is known for his poetic mastery of nature, and while he often leans toward more serious themes, his ability to turn a January morning into a moment of subtle humor is evident in this poem.
Excerpt:
“January is the month of snow,
But it’s the coldest you can know.”
I bundled up to brave the cold,
Yet the wind still made me feel so old.”
This poem contrasts the natural beauty of January’s snow with the biting cold that comes with it. Frost’s humor shines through in how he describes the harsh weather as something that ages him, turning a typical January morning into an absurd ordeal.
3. “New Year’s Day” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Edna St. Vincent Millay, a celebrated poet of the early 20th century, offers a witty and ironic take on New Year’s Day in this brief poem. She plays on the expectations of the fresh start a new year brings and contrasts it with the often mundane reality.
Excerpt:
“I will forget you, though I may remember,
If only for an hour, the happy day.
But first I shall put on my New Year’s Eve hat,
And sing my song and make my way.”
Millay humorously alludes to the fleeting nature of New Year’s resolutions and the whimsical nature of New Year’s Day itself. This poem highlights the irony of starting the year with such hope, only to find ourselves slipping back into our old routines.
4. “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore
Though traditionally a Christmas poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” includes elements that can be linked to the transition into January, especially with its depiction of winter. Its humor lies in its playful imagery and the unexpected twists in the narrative.
Excerpt:
“When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.”
While not directly about January, this poem humorously captures the magic and whimsy of the winter season, which spills over into the New Year. The exaggerated description of St. Nicholas and his reindeer is both humorous and charming, reminding us of the joy that comes with winter’s arrival.
5. “The Cold Within” by James Patrick Kinney
James Patrick Kinney’s “The Cold Within” is a humorous poem that looks at the bitterness of winter and the human condition. While it is generally a serious poem, it contains humorous reflections on human nature and the coldness of people, which can resonate in the winter months.
Excerpt:
“Six humans trapped by happenstance
In dark and bitter cold,
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the stories told.”
This poem takes a slightly darker yet humorous look at human interactions, using the metaphor of people trapped in a cold situation, each holding a stick of wood that could help warm them. The humor arises from the absurdity of how their unwillingness to share their resources ultimately leaves them cold.
6. “A Winter’s Tale” by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale” contains moments of humor in the midst of the winter setting. Though it’s primarily a work of drama, some of the lines about winter and the cold offer a lighter, more humorous perspective on the season.
Excerpt:
“How hard it is to hide the sparks of nature!
These are not tricks, this is the fire of life.
I would rather be cold and in love
Than warm and lonely.”
The humor in Shakespeare’s words lies in the contrast between the bitterness of winter and the warmth of human connection. His wit comes through as he intertwines the theme of love and winter, offering a lighthearted view on the personal warmth that transcends the cold of January.
7. “January” by Norman Maccaig
Norman Maccaig, a Scottish poet, offers a humorous observation about the cold and isolation of January. His witty take on the month highlights the challenges of winter while also finding humor in the everyday struggles of life.
Excerpt:
“The wind’s a wild and freezing friend,
The sun stays low, the days don’t bend.
I feel the frost, the ice, the snow,
Yet still, I plow through — slow, slow, slow.”
Maccaig’s use of humor in the poem’s tone suggests a resigned acceptance of January’s harshness, but with a lightness that makes the cold feel a little more bearable. The slow and trudging pace of the speaker mirrors how we often feel during the winter months, moving slowly yet with determination.
8. “The Snowman” by Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens, a modernist poet, takes a different angle with his humorous portrayal of a snowman. While the poem is philosophical, it offers a perspective on the snowman’s stoic resistance to the elements, making the snowman’s situation both tragic and comical.
Excerpt:
“For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.”
Though more serious in tone, Stevens’ play with perception and the absurdity of the snowman’s experience in the harsh January cold creates a humorous tension. The snowman, left alone in the snow, represents the stillness and cold of January, while the humor lies in how the poem draws attention to the absurdity of a snowman “listening” to the cold.
9. “The Land of Nod” by Robert Louis Stevenson
In “The Land of Nod,” Stevenson humorously addresses the dreamy, wishful thinking that can take over during the cold months of January. The poem imagines a fantastical place where one can escape the dreariness of winter.
Excerpt:
“I’ve come from the land of the young,
Where nothing is too big or too small.
I dream of being warm again,
And nothing I do is too small!”
Stevenson’s humorous take on January’s cold and the longing for warmth comes through with his whimsical vision of the Land of Nod, where everything is lighthearted and free from winter’s chill.
10. “In Praise of Winter” by Richard Aldington
Richard Aldington’s “In Praise of Winter” takes a playful approach to celebrating the season. Rather than seeing winter solely as a negative force, he brings a humorous celebration to the harshness of January, suggesting that the cold may have its benefits.
Excerpt:
“Winter’s here, so let’s have some fun,
A cold night under the winter sun.
The chill will pass, as all things do,
But the warmth of humor will see us through.”
Aldington’s witty lines use humor to turn the cold and isolation of January into something to be celebrated. The contrast between winter’s harshness and the warmth of humor is central to the poem’s lighthearted message, making it an excellent conclusion to the collection of January-themed poems.
Conclusion
January is often a month full of mixed emotions: the excitement of a new year, the cold winter, the stress of resolutions, and the realization that the holiday fun has come to an end. However, humor can help us navigate through the bleakness of January. These ten funny poems offer a playful perspective on the ups and downs of the first month of the year.
Whether it’s the chill of winter, the never-ending laundry, or the lofty New Year’s resolutions that quickly fall apart, these poems remind us that, no matter how difficult January may seem, laughter can always bring some light into the darkest days. So, next time you find yourself shoveling snow or pondering whether you should go to the gym, take a moment to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all — because, after all, January is just another chapter in the never-ending story of life.
