The First Nowell by L. Edna Walter
An angel tells shepherds of a newborn king. A star leads three wise men from afar to Bethlehem, resting over the place where Jesus lay, and they kneel to offer gold, myrrh, and frankincense. The verses close urging praise to the Lord who made heaven and earth and redeemed mankind with His blood.
By L. Edna Walter · First published 1922 · Genre: Christmas Hymn, Religious/Christian Literature, Poetry · 326 words
First lines
[Music]
1. The first Nowell the Angel did say / Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; / In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, / On a cold winter's night that was so deep. / CHORUS. / Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell! / Born is the King of Israel!
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Genres
- Christmas Hymn — A traditional religious hymn celebrating the nativity of Jesus Christ, structured as a carol with verses and repeating chorus designed for congregational singing during the Christmas season.
- Religious/Christian Literature — Deeply rooted in Christian theology and biblical narrative, depicting the miraculous birth of Jesus and divine revelation through the Star and wise men's recognition of the Messiah.
- Poetry — Composed in verse form with consistent rhyme scheme and metrical patterns, employing poetic devices and language typical of hymnal verse.
- Christmas/Holiday Literature — Explicitly focused on nativity themes and Christmas celebration, intended for observance and tradition during the Christmas holiday.
Tags
nativity · christmas · carol · jesus · shepherds · wise men · magi · star · bethlehem · angels · redemption · worship
What this Textopian page supports
The First Nowell 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 Hymn, Religious/Christian Literature, Poetry, Christmas/Holiday Literature, Traditional/Folk Music
- Length: 326 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for The First Nowell by L. Edna Walter
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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