Snow Flakes (From "Twice Told Tales")

In Short

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short essay captures the arrival and gradual intensification of a New England snowstorm observed from a quiet fireside window. As the storm buries the landscape, the narrator meditates on the seasonal rhythms of New England life, the fleeting nature of creative inspiration, and the stark realities of winter, including schoolyard snowball fights, the harshness of the frozen elements, and a passing funeral hearse. The piece endures as a vivid portrait of regional identity, blending solitary observation with poetic reflection on nature, community, and the human condition amid severe climates.

The Story

The narrative opens in the morning as the narrator sits behind partially frosted windowpanes, carefully watching the early stages of a wintry storm. A few light, feathery snowflakes begin to fall, hovering in the air before settling upon ground frozen hard by weeks of cold. The narrator notes the sparse passers-by on the sidewalks, who bear a frosty fortitude as they prepare for a bitter day. Outside, the withered green of the grass-plat and the roofs of the houses slowly turn gray under the accumulating snow, a gradual change that promises to cover the earth for months.

Turning away from the window, the narrator sits by the hearth, pen in hand, finding that the chilly gloom of a snowy day actually inspires cheerful thoughts and imaginative writing. While a native of a warmer climate might write under summer leaves, the narrator's creative hours arrive when the green log hisses on the fire and the wind rattles the casement. These fleeting fancies, much like stars at twilight, flicker against the surrounding darkness. Looking back out the window, the narrator sees that the storm has progressed, whitening the roofs and shrouding the rose-bushes in shallow drifts.

Observation of the tempest outside brings a sequence of imaginative visual scenes. Watching the wind battle around a distant church spire, the narrator visualizes demon-like spirits flinging snowdrifts through the sky. Below in the street, schoolboys engage in a spirited snow-battle, prompting a satire on military glory: victories and defeats lead to a massive snow monument, which eventually melts into a shapeless mound, leaving future passers-by to forget who built it or why.

The narrator then turns back to the fireside to draft a personification of New England Winter itself. Winter arrives through autumn blasts, causing people to wrap themselves in cloaks, woodcutters to chop logs, and coal merchants to rejoice as prices rise. Winter is pictured as a stern, icy tyrant striding across frozen lakes and over the land, freezing any homeless wanderer in his path. Yet, New Englanders remain grateful to this rough parent, whose severity builds unyielding strength of character and provides simple pleasures like sleigh-rides and warm hearths. Eventually, Spring arrives like a virgin crowned with flowers, driving the old despot back to the Arctic.

As the brief December afternoon fades into evening, the storm rages on, piling snow high against the window-sills. A solitary traveler trudges through deep drifts, a boy hitches a ride behind a passing sleigh, and a sledge carries wood to an unthrifty household. The mood darkens as a sable hearse, covered in snow, moves down the street toward a frozen grave. Just as gloom settles in, the narrator spots a flock of snow-birds skimming lightly through the tempest. Cheered by their playful flight, the narrator finds comfort in their quiet persistence amid the storm.

How It Unfolds

The storm begins The narrator sits near a partially frosted window, watching widely scattered snow-particles drift down upon the frozen ground as New England prepares for a lengthy, blustering storm.

Reflections by the hearth Leaving the window for the warmth of the fireside, the speaker finds that the gloomy weather and crackling hearth inspire imaginative thoughts and creative writing.

Observation of the street Looking out again, the narrator watches the wind fight around a distant spire and observes schoolboys waging a snowball war, musing on how military monuments eventually crumble into forgotten mounds.

Personifying the season The narrator drafts a vivid allegory of Winter as an icy tyrant who freezes the land, yet paradoxically builds character in New Englanders before being driven north by Spring.

The evening deepens As night falls, the storm covers the street in deep drifts, where a solitary traveler struggles along, a wood sledge passes by, and a dismal hearse carries a body to a cold grave.

A note of cheer Shivering in the gloom, the narrator notices a flock of snow-birds flying sportively through the dark tempest, finding unexpected solace in their lively presence.

The People

• The Narrator: A reflective writer who sits by a New England hearth, observing the progress of a snowstorm through windowpanes. Seeking creative inspiration in the dark season, the narrator turns winter's chill into deep reflections on life, nature, and mortality.
• Winter (Personified): Depicted as a stern, hoary tyrant with an icicle staff and a wind-tossed snow-drift beard. He seeks to dominate the landscape, freezing rivers and threatening wanderers, yet ultimately acts as a rough parent who strengthens New Englanders' character.
• Spring (Personified): A flower-crowned virgin who arrives after months of frost to drive Winter away, pelting the old tyrant with violets and spreading green grass in her wake.
• The Schoolboys: Local children engaged in a fierce snowball fight on the street, whose temporary snow fortresses and mock battles represent the fleeting, forgettable nature of human wars and monuments.

In Its Own Voice

"These little snow-particles, which the storm-spirit flings by handfuls through the air, will bury the great earth under their accumulated mass, nor permit her to behold her sister sky again for dreary months."

— The narrator reflects on the silent power of early snowfall to transform the landscape.

"Blessed, therefore, and reverently welcomed by me, her true-born son, be New England's winter, which makes us, one and all, the nurslings of the storm, and sings a familiar lullaby even in the wildest shriek of the December blast."

— A warm expression of appreciation for the harsh winter season that shapes local identity.

"A sable hearse, bestrewn with snow, is bearing a dead man through the storm to his frozen bed."

— A solemn observation of a winter funeral procession moving through the blizzard.

What It's Really About

Underneath its gentle descriptions of falling snow, the text explores how environment shapes the human spirit and imagination. Hawthorne examines the contrast between external desolation and internal warmth, showing that adversity can foster creativity, domestic comfort, and moral strength. The piece also wrestles with themes of mortality and transience. The crumbling snow fort built by schoolboys serves as a critique of earthly ambition and war monuments, proving that human achievements fade quickly. Meanwhile, the passing funeral hearse contrasts sharply with the resilient snow-birds, balancing the cold reality of death with the persistent, joyful vitality found within nature.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate quiet, atmospheric essay writing and keen observations of nature will find great warmth in this text. It offers a cozy, nostalgic experience that feels like sitting by a crackling fire during a blizzard, watching the world slow down under a blanket of white.

Hawthorne's formal nineteenth-century prose requires a patient reader. His sentences are elaborate and ornate, filled with detailed allegorical imagery and elevated vocabulary typical of the period. There are no sudden plot twists or dramatic action sequences; the text moves at the unhurried pace of a storm building outside a window.

What lingers after reading is the author's ability to find meaning, beauty, and cheer within a harsh season. His vivid descriptions of New England life—from the rattling casements to the playful snow-birds—offer a timeless reflection on finding light and creative warmth in the darkest months of the year.