There is a risk that we sing them without stopping to recognise the poet's skill and the real meaning.
Of course, much of the Victorian verse/carol repertoire is a bit too… well Victorian (as an example of bathos it is hard to beat 'his children crowned, // All in white shall wait around.')
But Christina Rossetti's famous poem is still very good (and fortunately has been brilliantly set to music, too).
In The Bleak Mid-Winter
In the bleak mid-winter,
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.
She also wrote this, which I find less good, but not as bad as it looks at first sight…
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.
Love Incarnate, Love Divine,
Worship we our Jesus,
But wherewith for sacred sign?
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.
Christina Rossetti
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3 comments:
Thanks for an excellent series of poems. Not sure I wholly agree on the two Victorian ladies, though. I am always struck, somewhat negatively, by the odd jerks in the rhythm of "In the bleak midwinter" while Mrs Alexander's "where like stars his children crowned/ all in white shall wait around," is, I believe a reference to the Apocalypse (chapter 7) - "those who have washed their robes white again in the blood of the lamb"(also referenced in the antiphon of All Saints "O quam gloriosum"). What is often forgotten is that her hymns- others include "All things bright and beautiful" and "There is a green hill far away"- were actually meant for children. Nevertheless, you have an anthology of high quality in the making here.
Nice christmas poem, you did great by this website. Anyway, i discovered your site while working on pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/kumar65/christmas-poems/. Thank you for a nice share of poems.
What a nice collection of Christmas poems. Reading poetry about the holiday has become one of my traditions. I choose some of the best or verses of short Christmas poems and include them in my Christmas greetings for family. Thanks for sharing this. Have a great holiday!
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