Hymn On The Morning Of Christ's Nativity Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDDCEE EEFGGFCH IIJFFJKL MMNOPQRR SSTSSUVV WWXSSYFF ZZSGGSFF A2A2FTTFB2B2 SSFC2D2FE2F2 SSFUG2FH2U SSSGGSFF SSFSSFB2B2 F2F2F2GGF2I2I2 FFSI2SSJ2J2 K2K2FL2L2FF2F2 F2F2I2F2F2VB2B2 FFFJ2J2FUH2 F2F2J2J2J2J2F2F2 GGFM2M2FF2F2 J2FJ2F2F2J2N2N2 O2P2J2J2J2J2J2J2 GGM2P2P2M2N2N2 J2J2Q2FFQ2J2J2 L2L2J2J2J2J2FF J2J2L2J2J2L2Q2Q2IT was the Winter wilde | A |
While the Heav'n born childe | B |
nbsp nbsp nbsp All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies | C |
Nature in aw to him | D |
Had doff't her gawdy trim | D |
nbsp nbsp nbsp With her great Master so to sympathize | C |
It was no season then for her | E |
To wanton with the Sun her lusty Paramour | E |
- | |
Only with speeches fair | E |
She woo's the gentle Air | E |
nbsp nbsp nbsp To hide her guilty front with innocent Snow | F |
And on her naked shame | G |
Pollute with sinfull blame | G |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The Saintly Vail of Maiden white to throw | F |
Confounded that her Makers eyes | C |
Should look so neer upon her foul deformities | H |
- | |
But he her fears to cease | I |
Sent down the meek eyd Peace | I |
nbsp nbsp nbsp She crown'd with Olive green came softly sliding | J |
Down through the turning sphear | F |
His ready Harbinger | F |
nbsp nbsp nbsp With Turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing | J |
And waving wide her mirtle wand | K |
She strikes a universall Peace through Sea and Land | L |
- | |
No War or Battails sound | M |
Was heard the World around | M |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The idle spear and shield were high up hung | N |
The hooked Chariot stood | O |
Unstain'd with hostile blood | P |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The Trumpet spake not to the armed throng | Q |
And Kings sate still with awfull eye | R |
As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by | R |
- | |
But peacefull was the night | S |
Wherin the Prince of light | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp His raign of peace upon the earth began | T |
The Windes with wonder whist | S |
Smoothly the waters kist | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Whispering new joyes to the milde Ocean | U |
Who now hath quite forgot to rave | V |
While Birds of Calm sit brooding on the charmeed wave | V |
- | |
The Stars with deep amaze | W |
Stand fixt in stedfast gaze | W |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Bending one way their pretious influence | X |
And will not take their flight | S |
For all the morning light | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence | Y |
But in their glimmering Orbs did glow | F |
Untill their Lord himself bespake and bid them go | F |
- | |
And though the shady gloom | Z |
Had given day her room | Z |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The Sun himself with held his wonted speed | S |
And hid his head for shame | G |
As his inferiour flame | G |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The new enlightn'd world no more should need | S |
He saw a greater Sun appear | F |
Then his bright Throne or burning Axletree could bear | F |
- | |
The Shepherds on the Lawn | A2 |
Or ere the point of dawn | A2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Sate simply chatting in a rustick row | F |
Full little thought they than | T |
That the mighty Pan | T |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Was kindly com to live with them below | F |
Perhaps their loves or els their sheep | B2 |
Was all that did their silly thoughts so busie keep | B2 |
- | |
When such musick sweet | S |
Their hearts and ears did greet | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp As never was by mortall finger strook | F |
Divinely warbled voice | C2 |
Answering the stringed noise | D2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp As all their souls in blisfull rapture took | F |
The Air such pleasure loth to lose | E2 |
With thousand echo's still prolongs each heav'nly close | F2 |
- | |
Nature that heard such sound | S |
Beneath the hollow round | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Of Cynthia's seat the Airy region thrilling | F |
Now was almost won | U |
To think her part was don | G2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp And that her raign had here its last fulfilling | F |
She knew such harmony alone | H2 |
Could hold all Heav'n and Earth in happier union | U |
- | |
At last surrounds their sight | S |
A Globe of circular light | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp That with long beams the shame fac't night array'd | S |
The helmed Cherubim | G |
And sworded Seraphim | G |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Are seen in glittering ranks with wings displaid | S |
Harping in loud and solemn quire | F |
With unexpressive notes to Heav'ns new born Heir | F |
- | |
Such musick as 'tis said | S |
Before was never made | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp But when of old the sons of morning sung | F |
While the Creator Great | S |
His constellations set | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp And the well ballanc't world on hinges hung | F |
And cast the dark foundations deep | B2 |
And bid the weltring waves their oozy channel keep | B2 |
- | |
Ring out ye Crystall sphears | F2 |
Once bless our human ears | F2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp If ye have power to touch our senses so | F2 |
And let your silver chime | G |
Move in melodious time | G |
nbsp nbsp nbsp And let the Base of Heav'ns deep Organ blow | F2 |
And with your ninefold harmony | I2 |
Make up full consort to th'Angelike symphony | I2 |
- | |
For if such holy Song | F |
Enwrap our fancy long | F |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Time will run back and fetch the age of gold | S |
And speckl'd vanity | I2 |
Will sicken soon and die | S |
nbsp nbsp nbsp And leprous sin will melt from earthly mould | S |
And Hell it self will pass away | J2 |
And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day | J2 |
- | |
Yea Truth and Justice then | K2 |
Will down return to men | K2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Th'enameld Arras of the Rain bow wearing | F |
And Mercy set between | L2 |
Thron'd in Celestiall sheen | L2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp With radiant feet the tissued clouds down stearing | F |
And Heav'n as at som festivall | F2 |
Will open wide the Gates of her high Palace Hall | F2 |
- | |
But wisest Fate sayes no | F2 |
This must not yet be so | F2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The Babe lies yet in smiling Infancy | I2 |
That on the bitter cross | F2 |
Must redeem our loss | F2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp So both himself and us to glorifie | V |
Yet first to those ychain'd in sleep | B2 |
The wakefull trump of doom must thunder through the deep | B2 |
- | |
With such a horrid clang | F |
As on mount Sinai rang | F |
nbsp nbsp nbsp While the red fire and smouldring clouds out brake | F |
The aged Earth agast | J2 |
With terrour of that blast | J2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Shall from the surface to the center shake | F |
When at the worlds last session | U |
The dreadfull Judge in middle Air shall spread his throne | H2 |
- | |
And then at last our bliss | F2 |
Full and perfect is | F2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp But now begins for from this happy day | J2 |
Th'old Dragon under ground | J2 |
In straiter limits bound | J2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Not half so far casts his usurped sway | J2 |
And wrath to see his Kingdom fail | F2 |
Swindges the scaly Horrour of his foulded tail | F2 |
- | |
The Oracles are dumm | G |
No voice or hideous humm | G |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving | F |
Apollo from his shrine | M2 |
Can no more divine | M2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp With hollow shreik the steep of Delphos leaving | F |
No nightly trance or breathed spell | F2 |
Inspire's the pale ey'd Priest from the prophetic cell | F2 |
- | |
The lonely mountains o're | J2 |
And the resounding shore | F |
nbsp nbsp nbsp A voice of weeping heard and loud lament | J2 |
From haunted spring and dale | F2 |
Edg'd with poplar pale | F2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The parting Genius is with sighing sent | J2 |
With flowre inwov'n tresses torn | N2 |
The Nimphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn | N2 |
- | |
In consecrated Earth | O2 |
And on the holy Hearth | P2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The Lars and Lemures moan with midnight plaint | J2 |
In Urns and Altars round | J2 |
A drear and dying sound | J2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Affrights the Flamins at their service quaint | J2 |
And the chill Marble seems to sweat | J2 |
While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted seat | J2 |
- | |
Peor and Baalim | G |
Forsake their Temples dim | G |
nbsp nbsp nbsp With that twise batter'd god of Palestine | M2 |
And mooned Ashtaroth | P2 |
Heav'ns Queen and Mother both | P2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Now sits not girt with Tapers holy shine | M2 |
The Libyc Hammon shrinks his horn | N2 |
In vain the Tyrian Maids their wounded Thamuz mourn | N2 |
- | |
And sullen Moloch fled | J2 |
Hath left in shadows dred | J2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp His burning Idol all of blackest hue | Q2 |
In vain with Cymbals ring | F |
They call the grisly king | F |
nbsp nbsp nbsp In dismall dance about the furnace blue | Q2 |
The brutish gods of Nile as fast | J2 |
Isis and Orus and the Dog Anubis hast | J2 |
- | |
Nor is Osiris seen | L2 |
In Memphian Grove or Green | L2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Trampling the unshowr'd Grasse with lowings loud | J2 |
Nor can he be at rest | J2 |
Within his sacred chest | J2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Naught but profoundest Hell can be his shroud | J2 |
In vain with Timbrel'd Anthems dark | F |
The sable stoled Sorcerers bear his worshipt Ark | F |
- | |
He feels from Juda's Land | J2 |
The dredded Infants hand | J2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp The rayes of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn | L2 |
Nor all the gods beside | J2 |
Longer dare abide | J2 |
nbsp nbsp nbsp Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine | L2 |
Our Babe to shew his Godhead true | Q2 |
Can in his swadling bands contr | Q2 |
John Milton
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