As I Sat on a Sunny Bank by L. Edna Walter
A child sitting on a sunny bank on Christmas Day morning spies three ships sailing by, carrying Joseph and his fair lady; he whistles, she sings, and all earth's bells ring for joy at the birth of the Saviour.
By L. Edna Walter · First published 1922 · Genre: Christmas Carol, Religious Poetry, Folk Song · 178 words
First lines
[Music]
1. As I sat on a sunny bank, / A sunny bank, a sunny bank; / As I sat on a sunny bank, / On Christmas Day in the morning,
2. I spied three ships come sailing by, / Come sailing by, come sailing by, / I spied three ships come sailing by, / On Christmas Day in the morning.
3. And who should be with these three ships, / With these three ships, with these three ships, / And who should be with these three ships, / But Joseph and his fair lady.
Similar titles
- The Silly Old Man by Sabine Baring Gould
- A Ballad Of Santa Claus by Henry Van Dyke
- Christmas Song Of The Old Children by George Macdonald
- The Singing Girl by Joyce Kilmer
- Bethlehem Town by Eugene Field
- Star Of The East by Eugene Field
Genres
- Christmas Carol — A traditional English Christmas carol with the characteristic repetitive structure, festive context, and Nativity subject matter that defines the carol genre.
- Religious Poetry — Centers on the birth of Christ and divine salvation, using verse form to express spiritual reverence and celebrate the Incarnation as a sacred event.
- Folk Song — Part of English folk tradition transmitted orally through generations, with simple, memorable melody and repetitive chorus structure typical of folk music.
- Hymn — Functions as congregational devotional song designed for religious observance and collective singing, particularly during Christmas worship.
Tags
Christmas · Christmas carol · Nativity · Joseph · Three ships · Sailing · Bells · Music · Song · Singing · Whistling · Saviour
What this Textopian page supports
As I Sat on a Sunny Bank is listed on Textopian as a poem by L. Edna Walter, dated 1922 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: L. Edna Walter
- Date: 1922 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Christmas Carol, Religious Poetry, Folk Song, Hymn, Narrative Poetry
- Length: 178 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for As I Sat on a Sunny Bank by L. Edna Walter
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