As Joseph Was a-Walking by L. Edna Walter
An angel tells Joseph that Mary's child will be born at midnight, King of all, in an ox's stall, wrapped in plain white linen, and laid in a wooden manger, not born or clothed in finery. People are urged to rejoice and light candles as His star shines clear.
By L. Edna Walter · First published 1922 · Genre: Carol, Religious Poetry, Hymn · 219 words
First lines
[Music]
1. As Joseph was a-walking / He heard an angel sing, / "This night shall be the birthtime / Of Christ, the Heavenly King.
2. "He neither shall be born / In housen nor in hall. / Nor in the place of Paradise, / But in an ox's stall.
3. "He neither shall be clothed / In purple nor in pall, / But in the fair white linen / That usen babies all.
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- The Nativity by G. K. Chesterton
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Genres
- Carol — The work is structured and functions as a traditional carol, specifically a Christmas carol with verse stanzas and a celebratory refrain calling people to joy and celebration.
- Religious Poetry — The work is fundamentally religious in nature, centered on Christian theological themes of the nativity and the divine birth of Christ with explicit spiritual messaging from an angel.
- Hymn — The work has the form and function of a hymn, with narrative verse, spiritual content, and a closing verse encouraging communal participation and celebration.
- Nativity Poetry — The entire work is devoted to narrating and celebrating the nativity of Jesus Christ, with detailed descriptions of the humble circumstances of his birth fulfilling prophecy.
Tags
angel · announcement · Bethlehem · birth · carol · Christ · Christmas · contrast · heavenly · humble · hymn · Jesus
What this Textopian page supports
As Joseph Was a-Walking 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: Carol, Religious Poetry, Hymn, Nativity Poetry, Narrative Poetry
- Length: 219 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for As Joseph Was a-Walking by L. Edna Walter
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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