On the Morning of Christ's Nativity

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity is a nativity ode written by John Milton in 1629 and published in his Poems of Mr. John Milton (1645). The poem describes Christ's Incarnation and his overthrow of earthly and pagan powers. The poem also connects the Incarnation with Christ's Crucifixion. Background Milton composed On the Morning of Christ's Nativity in December 1629, after celebrating reaching the age of maturity in England, in commemoration of the Nativity of Jesus. 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. 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 its quality"; this consideration is significant because Humphrey Moseley, an important bookseller, was the publisher of the volume and the ode serves as an introduction to Milton's poetry. Form 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.