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One Morning, Oh! So Early by Jean Ingelow

Analysis

"One Morning, Oh! So Early" is a poem by Ingelow that is often referenced for its great animation. When you speak it outloud, it's hard to not sing or, at the very least, say loudly what is being said by the birds. It is an amazing feat of expression and has influenced many authors after her. It's easy to see why she was such a great children's author.

"One Morning, Oh! So Early" is a three stanza poem containing seventeen lines. Each stanza is split up into five lines each and contains the rhyme scheme ABCCB. The starting line of each stanza ends with "my beloved" as a way to address the words to him.

Poem

One Morning, Oh! So Early
By 

One morning, oh! so early, my beloved, my beloved,
All the birds were singing blithely, as if never they would cease;
'Twas a thrush sang in my garden, "Hear the story, hear the story!"
  And the lark sang, "Give us glory!"
  And the dove said, "Give us peace!"

Then I hearkened, oh! so early, my beloved, my beloved,
To that murmur from the woodland of the dove, my dear, the dove;
When the nightingale came after, "Give us fame to sweeten duty!"
  When the wren sang, "Give us beauty!"
  She made answer, "Give us love!"

Sweet is spring, and sweet the morning, my beloved, my beloved;
Now for us doth spring, doth morning, wait upon the year's increase,
And my prayer goes up, "Oh, give us, crowned in youth with marriage glory,
  Give for all our life's dear story,
  Give us love, and give us peace!"

Published in 1898.

Next: Song of the Old Love