The speaker is welcoming a woman into his home on a cold December night, asking her to take off her cloak, hat, and shoes and come close to the fire. He points out that no woman has ever sat at his hearth before, which makes the moment feel private and special. The fire is bright, the wine is warm, and he wants the two of them to forget the darkness outside and simply sit together in the flickering light. His promise to warm her feet with kisses until they glow is tender and quietly sensual. The whole poem has a soft, enclosed mood—intimate, still, and full of quiet longing. The cold night is shut out, and what remains is warmth, closeness, and a slow, gentle invitation to stay.
December Night — Summary
Take off your cloak and your hat And your shoes, and draw up at my hearth Where never woman sat.
I have made the fire up bright; Let us leave the rest in the dark And sit by firelight.
The wine is warm in the hearth; The flickers come and go. I will warm your feet with kisses Until they glow.