30:
334:
346:
441:
83:. It was written while Charles Diodati, Milton's friend, was composing his poem, and the poem reflects his sober, contemplative lifestyle in comparison to Diodati's extravagant way of living. The ode was composed during a time in Milton's life when he based his understanding of religion on Scripture, but he was still influenced by myth.
86:
Although the ode was the first poem of Milton's 1645 collection, it was not the first poem that he wrote; many of the Latin and Greek poems included in the 1645 collection were composed during an earlier time. According to Thomas Corns, "Quite probably, its location indicates the poet's assessment of
155:
The poem deals with both the
Nativity and the Incarnation of Christ and Milton believed that the two were connected. The Nativity and the Crucifixion represent Christ's purpose as Christ in Milton's poetry, and contemporary poem, because Christ becomes human-like in the Nativity to redeem fallen man
112:
The hymnal stanzas are eight lines each, uniformly written in iambic meter. As in the introductory stanzas, the final two lines form a rhyming couplet, with a line in tetrameter followed by a line in hexameter, which closes out each stanza. The first six lines are made up of two tercets organized by
349:
107:
This is the month, and this the happy morn / Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King, / Of wedded maid, and virgin mother born, / Our great redemption from above did bring; / For so the holy sages once did sing, / That he our deadly forfeit should release, / And with his Father work us a perpetual
135:
form a set of poems that celebrate important
Christian events: Christ's birth, the feast of the Circumcision, and Good Friday. The topic of these poems places them within a genre of Christian literature popular during the 17th century and places Milton alongside of poets like
117:
It was the winter wild, / While the Heav'n-born-child, / All meanly wrapped in the rude manger lies; / Nature in awe to him / had doffed her gaudy trim / With her great master so to sympathize: / It was no season then for her / To wanton with the sun her lusty
156:
and humanity is redeemed when Christ sacrifices himself during the
Crucifixion. Milton's reliance on the connection is traditional, and Milton further connects the Nativity with the creation of the world, a theme that is expanded upon later in Book VII of
102:
Milton's introductory stanzas are seven lines each: five lines of iambic pentameter, using the rhyme scheme ABABB, followed by a rhyming couplet. The final line of each stanza is written in iambic hexameter. For example, see the first
184:." He further claims that the ode "rises in many ways above the rather commonplace achievements of Milton's other devotional poems and stands out from the mass of other early Stuart poems about Christmas."
37:
17:
338:
168:
The ode has, according to Thomas Corns, "generally been recognized as Milton's first manifestation of poetic genius and, qualitatively, a poem to be set alongside '
664:
821:
578:
160:. Like the other two poems of the set and like other poems at the time, the ode describes a narrator within the poem and experiencing the Nativity.
113:
the rhyme scheme AABCCB. The first two lines of each tercet are in trimeter, and the third in pentameter. For example, the first stanza of the Hymn:
99:
The poem is divided into two sections. "The Hymn," which comprises the bulk of the poem (27 stanzas) is prefaced by a four stanza introduction.
606:
727:
713:
382:
639:
601:
410:
555:
91:, an important bookseller, was the publisher of the volume and the ode serves as an introduction to Milton's poetry.
720:
744:
688:
826:
430:
415:
649:
405:
778:
593:
816:
659:
626:
425:
420:
375:
311:
Corns, Thomas. "'On the
Morning of Christ's Nativity', 'Upon the Circumcision' and 'The Passion'" in
79:
in
December 1629, after celebrating reaching the age of maturity in England, in commemoration of the
568:
583:
785:
772:
762:
542:
455:
205:
53:
471:
224:
221:
in the second movement - "Ring Out! Ye
Crystal Spheres" - of his 1990 work "Canticum Novum".
478:
368:
64:
63:
and his overthrow of earthly and pagan powers. The poem also connects the
Incarnation with
8:
811:
806:
174:
529:
80:
695:
654:
536:
485:
88:
767:
141:
573:
563:
492:
218:
145:
800:
644:
522:
198:
180:
681:
634:
611:
513:
506:
149:
60:
616:
391:
49:
137:
29:
38:
William Blake's illustrations of On the
Morning of Christ's Nativity
355:
333:
499:
169:
440:
360:
201:. The work is set for soli, chorus, semi-chorus and orchestra.
210:
148:. However, Milton's poetry reflects the origins of his anti-
217:
Stanza XIII of the Hymn portion of this poem was set by
87:
its quality"; this consideration is significant because
315:. Ed. Thomas Corns. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
152:
and anti-Church of
England based religious beliefs.
204:Portions of the ode are set as part of the text of
798:
322:. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1993.
231:, Ode for soprano, chorus and orchestra (1905).
193:In 1928 the first complete setting of Milton's
18:An Ode on the Morning of Christ's Nativity
249:
247:
245:
376:
822:Cultural depictions of the Nativity of Jesus
607:Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce
178:as his most significant poetic works before
242:
383:
369:
34:The Overthrow of Apollo and the Pagan Gods
197:was undertaken by the Cambridge composer
175:A Masque presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634
229:Hymn on the Morning of Christ's Nativity
28:
339:On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
14:
799:
728:Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint
714:When I Consider How My Light is Spent
364:
163:
640:The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates
465:On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
351:On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
320:John Milton: The Self and the World
77:On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
45:On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
24:
602:Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
25:
838:
326:
721:On the Late Massacre in Piedmont
439:
344:
332:
579:The Reason of Church-Government
390:
292:
283:
274:
265:
256:
13:
1:
650:Defensio pro Populo Anglicano
305:
70:
52:in 1629 and published in his
48:is a nativity ode written by
7:
779:Milton: A Poem in Two Books
354:public domain audiobook at
187:
10:
843:
755:
737:
705:
673:
660:A Treatise of Civil Power
625:
592:
554:
448:
437:
398:
122:
768:Edward Phillips (nephew)
569:Of Prelatical Episcopacy
262:Shawcross 1993 pp. 43–44
235:
55:Poems of Mr. John Milton
584:Apology for Smectymnuus
94:
786:Neo-Miltonic syllabics
773:John Phillips (nephew)
746:De Doctrina Christiana
689:The History of Britain
665:The Ready and Easy Way
289:Corns 2003 pp. 221–213
280:Corns 2003 pp. 216–217
206:Ralph Vaughan Williams
120:
110:
40:
827:Poetry by John Milton
556:Antiprelatical tracts
472:Upon the Circumcision
313:A Companion to Milton
225:John Blackwood McEwen
208:' Christmas cantata,
133:Upon the Circumcision
115:
105:
59:. The poem describes
32:
763:John Milton (father)
271:Shawcross 1993 p. 23
65:Christ's Crucifixion
61:Christ's Incarnation
706:Individual sonnets
41:
794:
793:
530:Paradise Regained
411:Reception history
337:Works related to
318:Shawcross, John.
298:Corns 2003 p. 221
253:Corns 2003 p. 216
164:Critical response
81:Nativity of Jesus
16:(Redirected from
834:
817:Christian poetry
696:Of True Religion
655:Defensio Secunda
627:Political tracts
537:Samson Agonistes
443:
385:
378:
371:
362:
361:
348:
347:
336:
299:
296:
290:
287:
281:
278:
272:
269:
263:
260:
254:
251:
89:Humphrey Moseley
75:Milton composed
21:
842:
841:
837:
836:
835:
833:
832:
831:
797:
796:
795:
790:
751:
733:
701:
669:
621:
588:
550:
444:
435:
394:
389:
345:
329:
308:
303:
302:
297:
293:
288:
284:
279:
275:
270:
266:
261:
257:
252:
243:
238:
190:
166:
142:Richard Crashaw
125:
97:
73:
36:(1809), one of
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
840:
830:
829:
824:
819:
814:
809:
792:
791:
789:
788:
783:
775:
770:
765:
759:
757:
753:
752:
750:
749:
741:
739:
735:
734:
732:
731:
724:
717:
709:
707:
703:
702:
700:
699:
692:
685:
677:
675:
674:Other writings
671:
670:
668:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
631:
629:
623:
622:
620:
619:
614:
609:
604:
598:
596:
594:Divorce tracts
590:
589:
587:
586:
581:
576:
574:Animadversions
571:
566:
564:Of Reformation
560:
558:
552:
551:
549:
548:
540:
533:
526:
519:
518:
517:
510:
503:
496:
489:
482:
475:
468:
452:
450:
446:
445:
438:
436:
434:
433:
428:
423:
418:
413:
408:
402:
400:
396:
395:
388:
387:
380:
373:
365:
359:
358:
342:
328:
327:External links
325:
324:
323:
316:
307:
304:
301:
300:
291:
282:
273:
264:
255:
240:
239:
237:
234:
233:
232:
222:
219:Stephen Paulus
215:
202:
189:
186:
165:
162:
146:George Herbert
124:
121:
96:
93:
72:
69:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
839:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
804:
802:
787:
784:
781:
780:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
760:
758:
754:
748:
747:
743:
742:
740:
736:
729:
725:
722:
718:
715:
711:
710:
708:
704:
698:
697:
693:
691:
690:
686:
684:
683:
679:
678:
676:
672:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
645:Eikonoklastes
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
632:
630:
628:
624:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
599:
597:
595:
591:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
570:
567:
565:
562:
561:
559:
557:
553:
547:
545:
541:
539:
538:
534:
532:
531:
527:
525:
524:
523:Paradise Lost
520:
515:
511:
508:
504:
501:
497:
495:
494:
490:
488:
487:
483:
481:
480:
476:
474:
473:
469:
467:
466:
462:
461:
460:
458:
454:
453:
451:
447:
442:
432:
431:Relationships
429:
427:
424:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
409:
407:
404:
403:
401:
397:
393:
386:
381:
379:
374:
372:
367:
366:
363:
357:
353:
352:
343:
341:at Wikisource
340:
335:
331:
330:
321:
317:
314:
310:
309:
295:
286:
277:
268:
259:
250:
248:
246:
241:
230:
226:
223:
220:
216:
213:
212:
207:
203:
200:
199:Cyril Rootham
196:
192:
191:
185:
183:
182:
181:Paradise Lost
177:
176:
171:
161:
159:
158:Paradise Lost
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
134:
130:
127:The ode with
119:
114:
109:
104:
100:
92:
90:
84:
82:
78:
68:
66:
62:
58:
56:
51:
47:
46:
39:
35:
31:
27:
19:
777:
745:
694:
687:
682:Of Education
680:
635:Areopagitica
612:Tetrachordon
543:
535:
528:
521:
514:Il Penseroso
491:
484:
477:
470:
464:
463:
456:
406:Poetic style
350:
319:
312:
294:
285:
276:
267:
258:
228:
209:
194:
179:
173:
167:
157:
154:
150:William Laud
132:
128:
126:
116:
111:
106:
101:
98:
85:
76:
74:
54:
44:
43:
42:
33:
26:
782:(1804–1810)
617:Colasterion
479:The Passion
392:John Milton
129:The Passion
50:John Milton
812:1645 poems
807:1629 poems
801:Categories
426:Early life
306:References
138:John Donne
71:Background
507:L'Allegro
118:paramour.
738:Disputed
421:Politics
416:Religion
356:LibriVox
188:In music
756:Related
500:Lycidas
486:Arcades
214:(1954).
170:Lycidas
103:stanza:
449:Poetry
399:Topics
172:' and
144:, and
123:Themes
108:peace.
57:(1645)
544:Poems
493:Comus
457:Poems
236:Notes
211:Hodie
546:1673
459:1645
131:and
95:Form
195:Ode
803::
244:^
227:,
140:,
67:.
730:"
726:"
723:"
719:"
716:"
712:"
516:"
512:"
509:"
505:"
502:"
498:"
384:e
377:t
370:v
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.