The snow man : $b A metrical play in one act

"The Snow Man: A Metrical Play in One Act" by Laurence Housman is a poetic play written during the early 20th century. It unfolds in a modest peasant dwelling and centers around themes of love, sacrifice, and the intertwining of life and death, particularly through the symbolic figure of a snowman. This play, characterized by its metrical dialogue, is set against a winter backdrop, enhancing its emotional and thematic depth. The narrative revolves around Joan, a peasant woman, and her children, Matthew Mark and Mary Ann, who create a snowman on a bitterly cold night. As the story progresses, the snowman mysteriously comes to life and interacts with Joan, prompting her to reflect on her troubled marriage to Jaspar, who has been absent for a long time. The play explores Joan's sacrifices for her children and husband and culminates in a poignant moment when Jaspar returns home, leading to themes of reunion, warmth, and longing. The snowman's presence serves as a catalyst for Joan's emotional journey, representing both the coldness of her current life and the hope for warmth and reconnection. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Laurence Housman was an English playwright, writer and illustrator whose career stretched from the 1890s to the 1950s. He studied art in London and worked largely as an illustrator during the first years of his career, before shifting focus to writing. He was a younger brother of the poet A. E. Housman and his sister and fellow activist in the women's suffrage movement was writer/illustrator Clemence Housman.