The Black Decree by L. Edna Walter
The Black Decree tells how the Virgin Mother and Joseph find no lodging, and the Babe is born in an ox's stall. Three wise men, guided by a star, bring spices and costly gifts. Enraged that they evaded him, Herod issues the Black Decree, ordering infants under two killed. God has already sent His Son to Egypt, kept there until the tyrant dies.
By L. Edna Walter · Genre: Religious Poetry, Christian Hymn, Narrative Poetry · 382 words
First lines
A SHROPSHIRE VERSION.
1. Let Christians all with one accord rejoice / And praises sing with heart as well as voice, / To God on high, for wonders He hath done / In sending us His well belovèd Son.
Similar titles
- The Christ Child by Charles Kingsley
- Happy The Birth Where Grace Presides by John Newton
- The Nativity by G. K. Chesterton
- Gracious Lord Our Children See by John Newton
- Revelation 2 1 7 by John Newton
- 1 Samuel 1 18 by John Newton
Genres
- Religious Poetry — The work is fundamentally a poem celebrating Christian theology, specifically the Nativity and divine providence, with explicit devotional intent.
- Christian Hymn — The structured stanzas, rhyming couplets, and invocation to celebrate God's works indicate this is intended as a devotional hymn for worship or congregational singing.
- Narrative Poetry — The work tells a complete story of the Nativity, the Magi's visit, and Herod's massacre across multiple stanzas with chronological progression.
- Biblical Literature — The poem directly dramatizes events from the Gospel narratives, particularly Matthew's account of the Nativity and the Massacre of the Innocents.
Tags
nativity · Christ child · Virgin Mary · Joseph · three wise men · Herod · divine protection · tyranny · innocence · providence · Egypt · ox's stall
What this Textopian page supports
The Black Decree is listed on Textopian as a poem by L. Edna Walter, dated Date unknown.
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: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Religious Poetry, Christian Hymn, Narrative Poetry, Biblical Literature, Devotional Literature
- Length: 382 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Black Decree by L. Edna Walter
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph