I am doing an english final on the poem "Old Christmas" by Roy Helton and I really don't understand why everyone is getting killed! I need help! thanks

What you have is two "spirts" talking. Sally's husband has been shot and now she is dead. "Old Christmas Morning", the title of the poem lends irony to the fact that Jesus came to cleanse the world of its sins. Looks like these people didn't learn their lessons from that.

Les

Old Christmas Morning - ROY HELTON

"Where you coming from, Lomey Carter,
So airly over the snow?
And what's them pretties you got in your hand,
And where you aiming to go?

"Step in, Honey: Old Christmas morning
I ain't got nothing much;
Maybe a bite of sweetness and corn bread,
A little ham meat and such,

"But come in, Honey! Sally Anne Barton's
Hungering after your face.
Wait till I light my candle up:
Set down! There's your old place.

Now where you been so airly this morning?
"Graveyard, Sally Anne.
Up by the trace in the salt lick meadows
Where Taulbe kilt my man."

Taulbe ain't to home this morning . . .
I can't scratch up a light:
Dampness gets on the heads of the matches;
But I'll blow up the embers bright."

"Needn't trouble. I won't be stopping:
Going a long ways still."
"You didn't see nothing, Lomey Carter,
Up on the graveyard hill?

What should I see there, Sally Anne Barton?
Well, sperits do walk last night."
There were an elder bush a-bloo ing
While the oon still give so e light.'

Yes, elder bushes, they bloom, Old Christmas,
And critters kneel down in their straw.
Anything else up in the graveyard?
One thing more I saw:

I saw my man witb his bead all bleeding
Where Taulbe's shot went through."
" What did he say? He stooped and kissed me.'
What did he say to you?

"Said, Lord Jesus forguv your Taulbe;
But he told me another word;
He said it soft when he stooped and kissed me.
That were the last I heard."

"Taulbe ain't to home this morning."
"I know that, Sally Anne,
For I kilt him, coming down through the meadow
Where Taulbe kilt my man.

"I met him upon the meadow trace
When the moon were fainting fast,
And I bad my dead man's rifle gun
And kilt him as he come past."

But I heard two shots." "'Twas his was second:
He shot me 'fore be died:
You'll find us at daybreak, Sally Anne Barton:
I'm laying there dead at his side."

I think Sally is still alive. Its Lomey that's dead. Sally's man Taulbe shot Lomey's husband some time before, Lomey had his rifle with her while visiting the grave and shot Taulbe when she saw him there. He then killed her before he finally died.

Yes, Lomey's husband is dead- killed by Taulbe. Now she has killed Taulbe, but been killed herself by him. (And Taulbe is apparently Sally Anne's man)

pam

Seems ghosts walk during Old Christmas (whatever that is/was)? Must be a ballad of some sort. Leaves me wondering why Lomey's man was killed by Taulbe. Feud, mebbe.

Looks like the last two lines of stanza #7 should be:

There were an elder bush a-blooming
While the moon still give some light.'

Christmas and ghosts do seem to go together- just ask Scrooge! I started digging around for folklore on ghosts and Christmas, but was quickly distracted. [rking.vinu.edu] />

pam

Old Christmas could be using the julian calendar, which would put it eleven days later then it is now.

Ahhhhh! I see other generations have found THE IllUSIVE POEM! It does my heart good to hear anyone at all talking about this poem. It remains my absolute favorite of all time. When I was in 8th grade I chose it to repertoire to my English class for extra credit. I was shy and no one knew me until after that poem. I took it under my wing and made it my own with southern voice and old inflection and a lilting speech that had the whole class mesmerized. I had found it in some dusty tome. No one had ever heard of it except the teacher who was floored. I had to join the drama club after that and of course i got nothing but A's from then on. Im telling you this poem was my coming out party. Never underestimate the power of well spoken and truly well felt poetry. It can change your life!!!
Thanks for your imput. This is a true old classic which trandscends the boundaries of north and south as well as good and evil and live and dead. yes, sallie ann is the life in all of us, the witness if you will to things gone amuck in christmas time. it is true the closer christ gets to the world that the evil will be as close and this is a poem that just points it out so handily. our natures exposed like pretties we carry around as gifts for our friends. The reason for the deaths is not as important as the impact of the violence and the fact that she was just informed of it by a speritt. oh yes, good luck with this one and dont forget to be dramatic if you decide to act this one out with accent of course! thanks again!