Every year I begin playing Christmas carols on the piano a month or two before December starts, and I am struck once more by the incredible beauty of these hymns. Christmas carols fill my heart with magic not only because of their association with my favorite time of year, but because they showcase some of the most amazing musical compositions and poetic lyrics of all the other hymns I know. Why are classic Christmas carols so incredible? Perhaps because a plethora of authors across history have written about Jesus’ birth, meaning that hymns have to be the best of the best to distinguish themselves and become famous. Each hymn, then, attempts to tell the well-known story in a new and more beautiful way. Equally likely, though, is that the birth of Christ has simply filled the hearts of Christians across history with so much joy that it simply had to overflow into stunning art. A few analyses of favorite hymns will show the true intricacy and power in these lyrics.
One classic Christmas carol, “What Child Is This,” uses internal rhyme and repetition for a beautiful dramatic effect. The music to this hymn is both moving and repetitive, and the lyrics fit those themes perfectly. The third line of each stanza has an internal rhyme. An example of this is “Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,” which has the same rhyme twice in a line instead of an end rhyme that repeats the rhyme in the first line. This sets the tone for frequent repetition in the last part of the stanza, which is almost a refrain. The one place where this repetition is not used is “Nails, spear, shall pierce him through.” Originally, this line read as “Nails, nails, shall pierce him through,” which fit better with the pattern of emphasis but was discarded for the sake of meaning. Regardless, when combined with the accompanying music that lingers purposefully on the repeated words, this hymn has one of the most beautiful and emotional effects of all famous Christmas carols.
Repetition is also used in other hymns for drama. “Silent Night” uses extensive repetition, apposition (describing the same thing in different ways) and parallelism (the rewording of a theme or phrase). The last and most important line in each stanza is repeated with a different melody, focusing the singer’s attention on it: “Sleep in heavenly peace,” “Christ the Savior is born,” and “Jesus, Lord at thy birth.” Instead of repeating the name Christ, the child is described as a “holy infant so tender and mild,” the “Son of God,” and “love’s pure light.” Although the lyrics seem simple at first, they employ almost imperceptible poetic devices that add to their serene beauty.
Anne Brontë’s poem “Music on Christmas Morning,” well worth reading this season, captures this depth of feeling in Christmas music. It also emphasizes a main theme in each Christmas carol: pointing to Christ’s redemption of the world. Most songs include at least one phrase with this intention. “Silent Night” has “With the dawn of redeeming grace,” “What Child Is This” has almost an entire stanza about the crucifixion, and some Advent hymns like “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” and “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” focus almost entirely on expectation of Christ’s salvation. This hope is the source of the overflowing joy in all these grand, old hymns, and it is the missing factor in modern holiday songs that often seem empty in comparison.
This Christmas, take time to appreciate the poetry and theology in the lyrics of favorite hymns. Do some research, too– the history behind each of these carols is astounding! Have a wonderful Christmas!
Photo credit: https://www.overstuffedlife.com/2016/11/organizing-best-christmas-caroling-party.html
Sources:
Brontë, Anne. “Music on Christmas Morning.” Edited by Mary Mark Ockerbloom, A Celebration of Women Writers, University of Pennsylvania, http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bronte/poems/pba-christmas.html.
Dix, William Chatterton. “What Child Is This?” The Hymns and Carols of Christmas, Hymns and Carols of Christmas, https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/what_child_is_this_version_1.htm.
Mohr, Joseph. “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Hymnary.org, The Hymn Society, https://hymnary.org/text/silent_night_holy_night_all_is_calm_all.
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Hymnary.org, The Hymn Society, https://hymnary.org/text/o_come_o_come_emmanuel_and_ransom.
Prudentius, Aurelius Clemens. “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” Hymnary.org, The Hymn Society, https://hymnary.org/text/of_the_fathers_love_begotten.