Poetry · Chapter
Christmas Day and Every Day explained
A short poem contrasting the high star and lowly baby of the Nativity, depicting wise men who find the baby and grasp the star, becoming heirs of all things near and far.
What happens
A short poem contrasting the high star and lowly baby of the Nativity, depicting wise men who find the baby and grasp the star, becoming heirs of all things near and far.
Themes in this chapter
Childhood and Innocence
The baby symbolizes innocence and the humble beginning of divine revelation.
Redemption and Grace
The wise men's journey to find the baby and grasp the star suggests the grace of becoming heirs to all things.
Characters to notice
- Baby
The lowly baby at the center of the Nativity scene.
- Mother Mary
Implied presence as the mother of the baby.
Key passages
“Star high, Baby low: ’Twixt the two Wise men go; Find the baby, Grasp the star— Heirs of all things Near and far!”
A star shines high above, a baby lies low on earth; between these two, wise men travel. They discover the infant and reach for the star, becoming inheritors of everything both near and distant.
Summarizes the poem's imagery of the Nativity and the wise men's quest.