ON
OD)
T)
O)
) )
) )
)
O
N
J
)
) I ST S
’
W I T)
O) N IN )
N A T I ) I T)
I I LT O N
N
ON
) I)
I N T) O D ) ) TI
AN
WA LT)
)
)
TA ) L O )
)
) )
LD
) A ) L ) LD ) ) AN D ) O ) ) A N )
S AN
) ) A N ) I S) O A N D N )
W
) O) )
1
) O) ) ) I ) ) T ,
WALT)
)
90 7
1
TA) L
O)
,
) )
) I ) LD
)
IN
I LT O N
N A TI ) I T)
T) )
OD)
Milton we fin d two personali t ies i nte r
fused and blen d ed in t o one H e is firs t
the court ly gentleman t he accomplished
musician t he elegant scholar the warm
h ea rted friend of Charles D i o d a ti and E d ward
) ing ) again he i s the grea t unfa t homable o ne t he
preacher of morali ty t he apos tle of libert y t he
s earcher of D ivine mys t eries There is a wi d e
difference be tween the poe t of Com u s and t he
p ro ph et o f Paradise Lo st yet i n ea ch are t h e tw o
n a t u re s
Th e gro wi n g p re pon d erance o f th e
s terner quali t ies was due par tly t o an evolu t ion of
character under t he s tress of bi tter personal ex
loss o f sight loss of for tune loss of
p e ri e n c e s
—
posi t ion and i n fl u e n c e bu t more t han t his t o t he
growing spiri t of reli g ious aus teri ty which marke d
t he seven teen t h cen tury in En glan d an d which
culminate d in Cromwell and the Commonweal t h
Standing his tori c ally betw een t he Elizabetha n
er a and the Puri t an ) efo rm a t ion he showe d t he
’
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
-
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
—
infl u ence o f b o th h is e arlier w o rk having m or e
of brigh t ness his later more of c old s ubli m i ty
Like a tall cathedral sp i re at s un s et w e s ee him
on the o ne s ide glorified b y t he light of a fading
d ay on the o t her wra p ped in t he s hadows
For m any years i t was t he Puri t an Mil ton who
was known in li t era ture H e was con s idered only
—
as the poet of Paradise Los t lofty maj es t ic far
seeing profo u nd clo t he d in t he man t le of p hilo s
o p hy m ovin g l ike a s e er along the hi g hwa y Of h i s
verse But more recen t ly a tt en t ion has been a t
tra cted t o h i s El i zabe t ha n quali t ies no t onl y in th e
Para d ise L os t bu t par t icularly i n hi s s o called
minor poems — w hich are minor only in r espect
t o s ize and which include L Alle gro and I l Pen
seroso that superb pair of lyrics ) Comus the
peerle s s masque ) Lyci d as t he elegy which unite s
d elicacy wi t h pa s sion ) and t he O d e on the Nativ
ity with i t s burs t of p ur e reli g ious ec s tacy
O f them a ll t he Ode on the Na t ivity i s p er
haps t he leas t read and ye t the mo s t tr u ly re p r e
I t lacks t he flawless ele g ance Of L Al
s e n ta ti ve
le gro and Il Penseroso the li g htness of Comus
an d t h e in tensi ty of Lycidas bu t i t sh o ws more
t h a n any othe r p o em of M ilto n s I believe t h e
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
-
’
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
’
.
,
,
,
’
,
,
two
si d es o f his gen ius I t is j oyo us a n d yet
earnes t ) bri gh t an d ye t full Of a s t a tely d igni ty
whi c h is a prophecy of the grande u r of Para d is e
Los t
It s faults were t hose which were bequea t hed
to i ts aut hor by a former genera t ion — by D onne
and o thers of his school who were t he popular
poe ts of M il t on s earlier years A few straine d
metaphors and overwrou g h t compari s ons mark
t his influence but the s t ren gt h t he vigor the
polish t he sinceri ty of i t were new i n En glish
li t erature and anno u nced the ad ve nt o f a p o et of
h eroic m ould
Mil t on wr o te the Ode while in college at
Cambridge Prior t o t his he ha d pro du ced a few
u nimport an t poems me trical versions of two o f
t he Psalms c o mposed at fifteen a few cre d i t able
Lati n ele g ies an d several o r d ina ry pieces Of Eng
lish v er s e On the Chris t mas m orning of his
tw e n ty fi r s t year however inspire d by t he s weet
signific ance of t he d ay and filled wi t h th e spirit
o f p eace and j o y w i t h w hich it h as touched so
m a n y he a rts he laun che d in to t his firs t of his rea l
fli g hts o f s ong H is sixt h La ti n epistl e wri tt en
soo n aft e r t o Charles D io d a ti d esc rib es t he c ir
.
.
,
,
’
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
-
,
,
,
.
,
,
ii i
H e s ays ) Bu t if you will kn ow what
I am d oin g
I am singing t he ) ing o f
Heaven bringer of peace and t he fortuna t e days
promised by the Holy Book t he wanderin gs of
) o d and t he s t abling un d er a poor roof of Him
who rules wi t h his Fa ther t he realms above ) the
s tar that led t he wizar d s the hymning of angels
i n the air and the go ds flyin g t o t heir endan gere d
fanes This poem I ma d e as a birt hday g ift for
Christ ) t he first light of Chris t ma s dawn bro u ght
me the theme
I ts burden is Peace on Eart h N o so u nd of
war breaks the stillness of the holy night The
shepherds talkin g t o ge t her as they w atch the i r
flocks are s uddenly g reeted wi t h s u c h music a s
was never heard before s ave when the so ns of
morning sang toge t her i n t he dawn of th e Crea
tion Cherubim and s eraphim wi t h ou tstre t ched
wings a radiant circle in t he heavens strike their
harps in honor of t heir new born Lord The
ancient gods have lost their power ) the o racles
are d umb ) the nymphs have left t he ha u nted
S prings ) the pries t s and fl a m e n s see strange prod
I n vain t hey call upon
i gi e s before the altars
their pa gan deities the Babe of Be t hl e he m has
cu
m s ta n ce
)
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
)
.
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
-
.
.
,
iv
co n) ue red th em But the mot he r la ys the Holy
Child t o re st while th e youn gest s t ar of heaven
hold s her lamp above him and a n ge l s s urr oun d
t h e manger wh e re he lie s
—
S u ch i s the argumen t a s imple t h e me and
yet c lothed w i t h a beau ty Of phrase an d image ry
which gives i t si ngular dis t inc t ion I t i s thi s
ela bo ration of detail t ogether wi t h a n e s se n t i a l
dignity of mo vement and mu s ical c a d ence that
des i gna t e the M i ltonic to u ch The ornam e nt is
n o t confin e d to h a p py phras e ology ) it embra ces
a weal t h of allus io n a brea dt h of knowl ed ge a su g
ge s ti ve n e ss tha t appeal par t icularl y to th e s cholar
Few other p oets have been able t o put so muc h
i nto a p hras e
I like Mil t on a nd Bu t ler s aid
becaus e they
D r J ohnson once to Bosw e ll
m ake m e th i nk
This thou g ht s ti mulus t o geth e r
wit h a rare c las sic al i nfl u enc e m ake s th e re ad
i ng o f M il to n a n e du c a t ion Say s M atth e w Ar
nold ) I n o ur r ace ar e th ous and s o f readers
pre s entl y there w ill b e m i lli o n s w h o d o no t know
a word of ) reek and La t in and wi ll never lear n
t h o se language s I f thi s host o f r eader s are ever
to gain an y s ense of th e powe r and charm Of t h e
grea t poets o f antiqui ty th eir way t o ga in i t is no t
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
)
)
.
,
)
,
.
,
,
)
.
.
)
,
,
,
.
,
th rou gh tra ns l ation s o f the an ci ents but th rou gh
the ori g inal poe try o f M ilto n who h a s the lik e
power and c ha rm bec aus e h e ha s the lik e gre at
styl e
B u t pe rh a ps th e m o s t rem arkable qual ity of
M i lton s ve r s e i s i ts melo d y We do not need t o
be told that he wa s an acc om plished musician
and that hi s fa t her wa s a musician before hi m
H i s v erse sh ow s th e m usical e a r It ha s i n it a
subtle pow e r w h i c h i s akin t o m agic W e need
no t try to a nalyze i t for i t el u d es analys is ) bu t we
cannot fa il t o be mov ed b y i t Children are
m oved by i t not knowin g what it m eans Tho s e
m aj e st ic Alexan d rines which make t he last line of
e ach stanza i n the Ode were in fo rm borrowe d
fro m Spen se r from whom M il t on i n hi s earli e r
poe m s borrowed much — but t here i s s o met hing
in them d is t in ct l y M il t onic Then t oo t hey sug
ges t so much We feel t h e s olemnity and th e
mystery of th e In ca rnation in that l i n e
,
,
,
.
’
.
,
.
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
)
An d ch os e w i th
us a
da r)
s
o me ho us e of mortal
We feel t he peace Of the new era
goo d will in t he phra s e
Of
c l ay
)
.
love and
,
)
W hi l e b i rd s
o
f
cal
m s i t b r oo d i n g
vi
o n the c h ar
med wave
.
)
Even the n a mes of the pagan go ds in th e twen ty
second and su ccee d ing s tanzas roll out wi t h a
a lar g ene ss that comman d s respec t
I t must not be t hou g h t that t his m u sic and t his
beauty cam e to M i lton a s a n i nspira tion His
work wa s not t hat o f an im provisa tore b u t of a
pains t aking and c onsumma t e a rtist E very word
was cho s en and eve ry phra s e polis he d A manu
s cri pt O f h i s in t h e libra ry of Chris t s Colle ge
Ca m bridge s how s erasures and recas t in g s which
proves the e fli c a c y of ca refu l work as O pposed to
slipshod rhaps o d i z i ng
Bu t afte r all the greatne ss of Milton s verse
i s not i n its h aunting melody nor in i t s beauty of
phrase no r i n its i ntellec tuali ty It arises out of
t he greatnes s of the poet himself I n i t we see
M il ton the pa t rio t th e r eformer the id ealist t he
hi g h min d ed Chris t ian the s t ainles s hero ) his i n
d ivi d u a l i ty is stamped upon every line t ha t he ever
wro te
H e w h o would not be frus trate of his
hope to write well hereafter i n lau d able thin gs
he s ays quain t ly in th e Apology for S me ctym
,
,
.
.
,
.
.
’
,
,
.
’
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
-
,
)
.
)
,
,
vi i
ou gh t himse lf be a true poem
This is
th e s ecret o f the vi tality of M ilton s work It is
vi vi fi e d a n d e n nob l e d by th e c harac te r w hich
s h i ne s out th ro u gh i t
Th e tra ve l e r m ay cl i mb today the narrow s tai r
cas e w hich lead s t o M ilt on s q u arter s a t Chri st s
Cam b ridge — may s ta nd in th e l ittl e r oom in
which th e Ode on t he N ativity wa s b egun on t h at
Chris tm a s morn i ng ne arl y three h u ndred ye ar s
a go m a y loo k o ut of th e wi ndo w and s e e th e
roo fs a nd t u rr e ts a nd b it o f l aw n w hic h M i lton
s aw — all the se a r e su gge stive o f th e tangi bl e
—
p resenc e o f a gre at po e t b u t t o k now M il ton
and to reali ) e the greatne ss of h is w ork o n e m u s t
look farther than m ere externals ) h e mus t ha ve
a s piritu al i n s ight wh i c h will let h im look de e pl y
a sy mpathy w it h the s cholar s l ife wh ich wi l l
let hi m lo o k appre ci a tiv el y a pu r e he a rt whi ch
will let h im l ook clearl y A s incere adm i ration
for M ilto n is th e tou chston e of chara cte r If o ne
can take t h i s great so u l in t o hi s own h e m ay fee l
tha t h e is i n s ome s en se hi mse lf above t he l ittl e
nes s e s of life
n u us ,
)
)
.
’
.
.
’
’
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
’
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
WALT)
v
iii
)
TA)
LO )
FI )
LD
ON
T) )
)
O) N IN)
’
O)
) ) ) I ST S
N ATI ) I T)
) ) O)
) OS ) D
629 )
1
l
H IS is t he mon t h and t his t he happy morn
,
Wher ei n t he Son of H e ave n s ete rnal ) i ng
,
’
Of w e dded m a i d and vi r gi n mo t her born
,
,
Our great re dempti on from above did bring )
Fo r s o t he ho l y sage s o n ce did sing
,
That h e ou r deadly forfe it should relea s e
,
And wi t h h is Fa t her work us a perp e tual peace
.
1
1
T h at glorious form that ligh t unsufferable
,
And t hat far b ea mi n g b laze of majes ty
,
-
,
Wher ewit h he w o nt a t Heaven s high council t able
’
-
To s it the m i d s t of T ri na l ) nity
,
H e laid as i de and here with u s to b e
,
,
,
Forso ok t he co urt s of e ve r l as ti ng day
An d chose w i t h
cla y
,
us a dark s ome h ouse of mo rtal
.
III
Say Hea ve nly M u se s hall not th y s acred v ein
,
,
Afford a p re s ent to the I nfa n t )
od
)
H ast tho u n o v ers e no hymn or so l em n s t rain
,
,
To welco m e him t o th i s his n e w a bo de
,
,
Now while the hea ven by th e S u n s te am untrod
’
,
H a t h took no p r i nt of the a ppro ac hi n g l i ght
,
,
And all the spangled h os t k e ep w atch i n s q u adrons
bri gh t
I)
S ee h ow fro m far u p o n t he easter n road
Th e s tar l e d wi ) a rd s h a s te w i th o d ou rs s weet )
-
O h ) ru n ) p r event th e m wi th th y hum ble od e
,
A n d la y it lowl y at h is b lessed fee t )
H a ve t hou th e ho n o u r first t hy Lord to gree t
And join th y
,
vo i ce un t o the Angel ) uire
From ou t his secre t a lta r t ouche d wi t h hallowe d fire
,
.
TH E ) ) ) N
It was th e wi nt e r wi ld
Wh i l e th e h eaven b orn child
Al l me anl y wr a p t i n th e ru de manger lies )
N at ure in aw e to hi m
Had d o fl e d her g au dy tr i m
Wi th he r great M aster s o to sympa t hize )
It w a s n o s eas on then fo r h e r
To wanton wi th the Sun her lus ty paramour
,
-
,
,
,
)
,
.
1
1
Onl y wi th s p ee c he s fair
Sh e w oos t h e ge n tl e air
To hid e he r gu ilty fr o nt wi th i nnocent snow
An d on he r naked s h am e
Pollut e wi t h sin ful b l ame
T he s a i ntly v eil of m aid en w h ite to t hrow )
Confo u nded that he r M a k e r s eye s
S hou ld look so ne a r u p on h e r fo u l deformi ti es
,
,
’
,
.
,
)
But p eaceful wa s t he ni g ht
Wh ere i n the Princ e of Light
Hi s rei gn o f pe ace u p o n the eart h be g an
T he w in ds wit h w onder w h is t
,
Smoothl y th e wa te rs ki s s e d
,
,
Wh is p eri ng new j oys to t h e m ild Ocean
Who n o w h a t h
)
.
uite forgot to r av e
,
,
While bi rd s of c al m s i t b r ooding on t he charm e d
w ave
.
) I
T he s tar s w i t h deep amaze
S tand fixed i n s teadfast gaze
,
,
,
Bending o n e way th e ir p recio u s influence
And wil l n ot take their fligh t
For all the m orn i ng l i ght
,
,
,
Or Lucife r that O ften warned t hem t hence )
But i n t heir glimmeri ng orbs did glow
,
)
n t il t heir Lord himself bespake and bi d t hem g o
.
\1
1
1
An d th o u g h t he shady gloom
,
Had given day her roo m
,
The Sun h imself wi t hheld his won t e d spee d
And hid his head for shame
,
,
As his inferior flame
The ne w enlightened world no m o re shoul d nee d )
-
He saw a g rea ter Sun appear
Than his bri g ht throne or burning axle tree co uld
bear
.
I)
II I
The shepherds on t he lawn
Or ere the po i nt of d awn
,
,
Sat simply chatting in a rus t ic row )
Full li ttle though t t he y t han
That t he mi g h ty Pan
Was kin d ly come t o live wi t h t hem below )
Perhaps t heir loves or else t heir shee p
,
,
Was all t ha t d i d t heir silly t hou g h t s so busy keep
.
I)
W he n suc h mus i c swe et
Their hea rts and ears d id gree t
As n ever
was by m o rtal finger st rook
D ivinely war b l e d v oi c e
An s wer i ng the s tri nge d noi s e
As all t he ir sou ls i n b lissfu l raptu re to o k )
,
-
,
The air suc h plea su re loth t o lo s e
,
,
Wi t h th ousan d echoes s till prolongs each h e ave n l y
clo se
.
X
N atu re that heard such s ound
,
Beneath the h o llo w r ou nd
Of Cynthia s s eat the a iry r egion t hrilling
’
,
N ow was almost w o n
T o th i nk h er pa rt wa s done
,
And that her reign had h ere i ts last fu lfillin g )
She knew s uch harmony al o ne
C o uld h old all Heaven and Eart h in happier union
.
) I
A t la s t surroun ds their s i ght
A globe of circular light
T h a t w rrh lo n g b ea ms the sha me fa c ed N i ght a r
rayed )
The h elm e d c herubim
And s w o rded s eraph i m
Ar e s een i n glitterin g ranks wi t h wings di s played
Harp i n g i n l ou d and s o lemn qu i re
Wi t h u nexpre s s i v e no te s to H e a ve n s new born
Heir
,
,
,
’
-
,
.
) II
S uc h mu si c ) as ti s sai d )
Befor e w as never mad e
B u t when o f o ld the Sons of M o rni ng su ng
Wh i le the Cre ator great
Hi s co nstella t ion s s et
And the w e ll balanced Wo rld o n hi n ge s hu ng
And ca s t the dark fo u nda t ions deep
And bid the welteri ng wa ves t h e ir ooz y cha nne l
keep
’
,
,
,
-
,
,
.
)
III
i ng o ut y e crystal spheres )
Once bless our h um an ears
If ye h ave p owe r to t ou ch our s en ses s o )
And l e t yo u r silver chime
M o ve in melo d ious time )
An d let th e b ass of heaven s deep organ bl o w )
And with your ninefo ld harmony
M ake u p full c o ns ort t o the angelic symphony
)
,
,
’
.
) I)
For if s u ch holy song
,
Enwrap our fancy lon g
,
Time will ru n back and fetc h the Age of ) old )
And spe c kled ) anity
Will sick e n so on and die
,
And leprou s Sin will m el t fr o m earthly mo u ld )
And Hell it self will p ass away
,
And leave her d o l o r ous ma n s ions to the p eerin g
da y
.
1
0
) )
Trut h and J ustice then
1
down re tu rn t o men
W 11
)
ea,
,
Orbed i n a rainbow ) and like glories weari n g
,
Mercy wi ll s it be twe en
,
,
Throned i n c e le s ti al s heen
,
Wi t h radiant feet the ti ssued clou d s d own s t eerin g )
And Heaven as at some fe s t1
va l
,
,
Will open wide t he ga t es of her high palace hall
) ) I
But wisest Fa t e says No
,
This mus t not yet be so )
The Babe lies yet i n smiling infancy
That o n the b itter cr o s s
Must red ee m our loss
,
S O bo t h himself and us to
glorify )
) e t firs t to thos e yc h a i n e d in s leep
The wakeful tru mp O f doom m us t t hunder thro u gh
the d e e p
,
,
,
II
) ) I) I I
Wi t h su ch a horrid clang
As on Mo u nt Sinai rang
Wh i le the red fire and smouldering clo ud s ou t
brake )
The aged Eart h aghast
Wi t h te r r o r of that b la s t
Shall fr o m th e s urface to the cen t re shake
When a t the world s las t s ession
The dreadful J u d ge in middle air shall s pread his
throne
,
,
,
,
’
,
,
.
And t hen a t last o u r bliss
Full and perfect is
But n o w begin s ) for from this happy day
The Old D rago n u nder gro un d
In s trai t er limi t s b o und
No t half s o far cas ts his u s urp e d sway
And w roth to se e his kingd o m fail
Swi nges t he s caly horror of his fol d ed tail
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
XX I
I n cons e crated ea rt h
,
And on the hol y hea rth
,
The Lars and Le mu res moan wi t h midni g ht plaint)
In u rn s and altars round
,
,
A dre ar and dyi ng sound
Afl r i ghts the fl a m e n s at t heir service quaint )
And the chill marb le s eems t o swea t
,
While each peculiar power forgoes his won t e d seat
.
XX I I
Peor and Baalim
Forsake t heir temples d im
,
With th a t twice b attered god of Palestine )
-
And moon e d Ash taro t h
,
H eaven s ) u e e n and mo t her bo t h
’
,
Now sits not girt wi t h tapers holy s hine )
’
The Lybi c H am mo n shrinks his horn )
I n vai n the Tyr ia n m a id s their wounde d Tham mu )
mourn
.
4
1
XX I I I
An d sullen Moloch fle d
,
,
Hath left in shadows d read
His burnin g i dol all of blackes t hue )
I n vain wi t h c ymbals rin g
’
They call the grisly king
,
In dismal dance about t he furnace blue )
The bru t ish gods of Nile as fas t
,
Isis and Orus and t he dog Anubis has te
,
,
,
.
XX I )
Nor is Osiris seen
In M emphian grove or g reen
,
Tramplin g t he unshowere d g rass wi t h lowin gs
lou d )
Nor can he be a t res t
Wi t hin his sacred ches t )
Nou ght but p rofo u ndes t Hell can be his shroud )
In vain wi t h t imbreled an t hems dark
The sable s tol ed sorcerers bear his worshipe d ark
,
,
-
.
1
5
) ) )
H e fee ls from J ud a s lan d
Th e dre a ded I nfant s h and )
The r ay s o f B e thl e h em b l i nd h i s d us ky eyn )
Nor all t h e g o d s besi de
Lo nger dar e a b i d e
N o t Typ hon hu ge e nd in g in sna ky twine )
O ur Ba b e t o s how his ) o d head tr ue
Ca n in h is s wad d ling bands contr o l th e damn e d
crew
’
’
,
,
,
.
XX)
I
So w h en t he su n i n b ed
C urt a ined wi t h clo u d y r e d
Pill o ws hi s chin u pon an orient w a ve
T he flock i ng shadows pale
Troop t o the i nfe rnal jail
Each fettered ghost slip s t o his several grave
A n d th e yell ow s ki rt e d fays
Fly after the night steeds lea ving their moon loved
m aze
,
,
,
,
,
,
-
-
-
,
.
1
6
XX)
II
B u t s ee ) the ) ir g in blest
Hath laid her Bab e to rest
.
Time i s o u r te d i ou s so ng sh o uld here have ending )
Heaven s youngest teem e d s tar
’
-
H ath fixed her polished car
Her s leeping Lo rd wi t h hand m aid lamp attend i ng )
,
And all a b dut the co urtl y s tabl e
Bright harnes s ed Angels s it i n order serviceable
-
.