Christmas Eve 1914

Eugene Field 1850 (St. Louis) – 1895 (Chicago)



Silent, to-night, o'er Judah's hills
Bend low the angel throng,
No heavenly music fills the air
Exultantly with song;
Yet, close above the sin-scarred earth,
Broods still the Love Divine,
And through the darkness, as of old,
The stars of pity shine.

Silent, to-night, is Bethlehem:
Along the hushèd ways
No eager feet of worshippers,
No melodies of praise;
Yet, in the quietness that fills
The waiting hearts of men,
The ancient miracle of hope
Is wrought, to-night, again.

O holy Christ! to whom, of old,
The wondering shepherds came,
The light they sought with flaming joy
We seek in contrite shame;
And though men strive, we dare to hope
That Thou again art born,
For, through the night of our despair,
Behold! Thy star of morn!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

39 sec read
73

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCBXDED XFXFAGHG EIXIHJCJ
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 717
Words 129
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8

Eugene Field

Eugene Field, Sr. was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. more…

All Eugene Field poems | Eugene Field Books

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