“The Death of Santa Claus” is a narrative poem of 10 stanzas written in tercets (three-line stanzas), for a total of 30 lines. There is no rhyming in the poem and no discernable meter, making it an example of free verse. The lengths of the lines vary between five and nine syllables. The organizing principle is the plot of the story. The first seven stanzas concentrate on the death of Santa Claus, which is portrayed realistically. The remaining three stanzas center on the moment the speaker’s mother confirms that Santa does not really exist. This prompts a reflection back on the first part of the poem and to reevaluate it as a metaphor for the child speaker learning that Santa is a myth, which destroys his belief, causing it to die. This is represented in the symbol of Santa’s heart attack.

One thing that helps to create the emotional resonance in “The Death of Santa Claus” is the strong imagery that indicates physical movement, called kinetic imagery. The heart attack Santa has—and its consequences—is made the more vivid by descriptions that pay attention to physical movement.