Lyric Poem · Nature

Song On May Morning

by John Milton

Reading room

1Now the bright morning Star, Dayes harbinger,

2Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her

3The Flowry May, who from her green lap throws

4The yellow Cowslip, and the pale Primrose.

5Hail bounteous May that dost inspire

6Mirth and youth, and warm desire,

7Woods and Groves, are of thy dressing,

8Hill and Dale, doth boast thy blessing.

9Thus we salute thee with our early Song,

10And welcom thee, and wish thee long.

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“Song On May Morning” by John Milton — quilloak.com/poems/song-on-may-morning

Quick facts

Poem: Song On May Morning
Poet: John Milton
Length: 10 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Nature, Childhood, Short

Craft notes

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Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape: 10 lines · one 10-line stanza
Line length: Lines run 8-10 syllables (median 10), consistent with pentameter. No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.

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Author record: John Milton1608–1674
Source record: PoetryDBSong On May Morning by john-milton, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 fd7e59e9cb057b83…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Nature Childhood Short

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