On the Morning of Christ's Nativity

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity is John Milton's Christmas ode, composed in 1629. An opening dedication leads into a hymn imagining nature and the heavens responding to the birth of Christ. Stillness, music, and changing light make the Incarnation an event that transforms the meaning of the surrounding world. The poem also looks beyond the manger toward redemption, joining the quiet of the Nativity to a larger Christian account of spiritual history.