A Christmas Carol

Christina Georgina Rossetti 1830 (London) – 1894 (London)



In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty
Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there.
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part, -
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

50 sec read
183

Quick analysis:

Scheme AbxbccAc defeAgxg dfxfhixi hjdjakxk dlxlxmdm
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 876
Words 169
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote various romantic, devotional, and children's poems. "Goblin Market" and "Remember" remain famous. She wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in the UK: "In the Bleak Midwinter", later set by Gustav Holst and by Harold Darke, and "Love Came Down at Christmas", set by Harold Darke and by other composers. more…

All Christina Georgina Rossetti poems | Christina Georgina Rossetti Books

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Discuss the poem A Christmas Carol with the community...

1 Comment
  • Patricia Baldwin
    Patricia Baldwin
    Love this! And beautiful when sung. It is used as a Christmas ad for abandoned dog you've probably seen on TV.
    LikeReply7 years ago

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