More Christmas Poems

This is the Thursday, December 4, assignment for the 7th-8th grade English class.

1. Read Luke 4 and copy the three verses where Jesus replies to the devil during his temptation.

2. Read all three poems below.

3. Write a one paragraph response to one of them. What does it mean to you? What do you like best about it? Be sure to quote at least two lines in your response.

Jesous Ahatonhia
by Father Jean de Brébeuf, Jesuit missonary to Canada, in 1642
interpretation by J. E. Middleton

'Twas in the moon of wintertime
When all the birds had fled,
That Mighty Gitchi Manitou
Sent angel-choirs instead;
Before their light the stars grew dim,
And wondering hunters heard the hymn—
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark
The tender Babe was found,
A ragged robe of rabbit skin
Enwrapped His beauty round;
But as the hunter braves drew nigh,
The angel song rang loud and high--
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

The earliest moon of wintertime
Is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory on
The helpless Infant there.
The Chiefs from far before Him knelt
With gifts of fox and beaver pelt--
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

O children of the forest free,
O sons of Manitou,
The Holy Child of earth and Heaven
Is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant Boy,
Who brings you beauty, peace, and joy--
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

~*~*~

Star-Silver
by Carl Sandburg

The silver of one star
plays cross-lights against pine-green
And the play of this silver cross-wise against the green is an old story.
Thousands of years.
And sheep grazers on the hills by night
watching the woolly four-footed ramblers
watching a single silver star.
Why does this story never wear out?
And a baby, slung in a feed box back in a barn in a Bethlehem slum
A baby's first cry,
mixing with the crunch of a mule's teeth on Bethlehem Christmas corn
Baby fists, softer than snowflakes of Norway
The vagabond mother of Christ
and the vagabond men of wisdom
all in a barn on a winter night
and a baby there in swaddling clothes on hay
Why does this story never wear out?
The sheen of it all--is a star, silver and a pine, green
For the heart of a child asking a story
The red and hungry, red and hankering heart
Calling for cross-lights of silver and green

~*~*~*~

The Paradox

by Virginia Knowles

Come, see where He lays,
Good Shepherd and Little Lamb
King of Kings and Servant of All
Prophet and Prophecy Fulfilled
Physician and Wounded One
High Priest and Atoning Sacrifice
Counselor and Rejected One
Builder and Foundation Stone
Righteous Judge and Condemned Prisoner
Ancient of Days and Newly-born Babe
God and Man

Here are the Bible verses for each line of the poem.

• Lying in a manger: Luke 2:12
• Shepherd: John 10: 11 / Lamb: John 1:29
• King: Revelation 19:16 / Servant: Mark 10:43-45, Philippians 2:7
• Prophet: Luke 7:16 / Prophecy: Matthew 1:22, Luke 4:16-21, Isaiah 61:1-3
• Physician: Matthew 15:30 / Wounded: Isaiah 53:4-6
• Priest: Hebrews 7:23-28 / Sacrifice: Hebrews 9:11-14, 10:19-22
• Counselor: Isaiah 9:6 / Rejected: Isaiah 53:3, John 10:22-33
• Builder: Hebrews 3:3, Matthew 16:18 / Foundation: 1 Peter 2:4-9
• Judge: John 8:1-11, Acts 10:42-43 & 17:30-31 / Prisoner: Mark 14:60-65
• Ancient: Daniel 7:13-14 / Newborn: Luke 2:8-20
• God: John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:19-20 / Man: 1 Timothy 2:5, Romans 1:1-4