ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY

Milton- Christ’s Nativity


IGNOU MEG-1 Block-4 Unit-20 -


ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY


Written in 1629 when Milton was 21 years old.


Nativity meaning - the occasion of a person's birth. - Nativity of Christ and Milton’s own nativity in the adult world as he turned 21 now.


The poem consists of four opening stanzas of seven lines each, followed by the main 'Hymn' of twenty-seven stanzas of eight lines each, 


The opening four stanzas follow a rhyme scheme different from the rest of the poem and the rhymes themselves are not very consistently accurate.


For the most part the foot remains iambic, swinging between the rather rare trimeter and the hexameter.


the introductory stanzas are composed of seven lines each, following an a-b-a-b-b-c-c rhyme scheme, the remaining stanzas are of eight lines each, using the rhyme scbe~ne a-a-b-c-c-b-d-d.


Poetic device - Alliteration, enjambment, personification


The alliterative first line- The Windes, with wonder whist, 


The first four stanzas introduce the poem's topic, the birth of Christ, and offer it as a song in celebration of this event. The third stanza characteristically invokes the 'Heav'nly Muse'


Words:


  • Perpetual - never ending or changing.

  • Trinal - Having 3 parts or threefold (The christian holy trinity)

  • Untrod - Pathless, trackless

  • Spangled - Covered with small sparkling objects

  •  Squadrons - an operational unit in an air force consisting of two or more flights of aircraft and the personnel required to fly them.

  • Manger - a long trough from which horses or cattle feed.

  • Daff’d - A piece of clothing

  • Wanton - of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked.

  • Paramour - lover

  • Harbinger - a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.

  • Myrtle - an evergreen shrub 

  • Rave - talk incoherently, as if one were delirious or mad.

  • Orb - a spherical object or shape

  • Wonted - Habitual, usual

  • Ere - before

  • Loth - reluctant

  • Cynthia - Moon Goddess

  • Oracle - in greek history someone who gives prophecies

  • Consecrated - been made sacred

  • Hearth - the floor of a fireplace

  • Plaint - charged with accusation 



Block-4 Studying Milton


You can check out my YouTube videos on the same topic where I have explained everything in Hindi in detail. Links are below-


Other Poems of Milton - explained in Hindi on my YouTube channel


Lycidas 1/2
Lycidas 2/2 

More related and helpful links in the description box of my YouTube channel.



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