John Miltons On the Morning of Christs Nativity :: On the Morning of Christs Nativity Essays

John Miltons On the Morning of Christs Nativity John Milton was innate(p) in 1608 and died in died in 1674. He was by far the close to learned man of his time. He influenced men from the Romantic poets to the American Puritans. Moreover, he relied heavy on the historic Christian teaching of Calvinism. In the first four stanzas of On the Morning of Christs Nativity Milton paints a beautiful picture of mans repurchase in Christ. First, the first four stanzas of Miltons poem have a distinct rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is an adaptation of the rhyme scheme in Spensers The Faerie Queen. In Spensers poem the stanza rhyme scheme is ababbcbcc. In Miltons poem the rhyme scheme is ababbcc. The two poems have similar rhyme schemes except Spensers poem has an extra cb. Second, the most common feature of the first four stanzas is the striking allusion. In the stanza, Milton speaks of the son of Heavens eternal King born of a virgin mother bringing redemption from above. The King of Heaven i s the Christian God. This is a quote from Daniel 4. The virgin mother is Mary, mother of Jesus. This is a prophecy of the birth of Christ from Isaiah 7 fulfilled in Luke 2. The redemption from above is the redemption written of in Romans 327. The holy sages once did sing (they prophesied) about Christs releasing the elect of death from the Fall (Genesis 3). These prophecies be in Isaiah 9 and 40, among other places. They were fulfilled in Christs death and resurrection, and God now works a perpetual peace in His elect. The second stanza is more than like the first, with allusion as the main feature. The glorious form and light insufferable are symbolic of God. Exodus 3320 says no man shall deal the face of God and live. Here Milton specifically writes about the Son, Jesus Christ. Milton says He sat in Trinal Unity at Heavens high council-table. Trinal Unity refers to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. All three are separate and distinct Persons of one God. They are in perfec t unity. Finally, Milton says Christ forsook His glory and came here with us. This is a reference to Philippians 2 where Christ humbles Himself and makes Himself in the form of a servant. Finally, Milton says He chose a darksome house of mortal clay. This alludes to 1 Corinthians 47 where Paul calls men jars of clay.