{
 "id": "mary-weston-fordham/the-saxon-legend-of-language",
 "title": "The Saxon Legend of Language",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Mary Weston Fordham",
 "poet_slug": "mary-weston-fordham",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Magnolia Leaves",
 "book_slug": "magnolia-leaves",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 5,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1897,
  "venue": "Magnolia Leaves (1897)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/magnolialeavespo00ford"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/mary-weston-fordham_magnolia-leaves",
  "file": "magnolia-leaves.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://scalar.lehigh.edu/african-american-poetry-a-digital-anthology/mary-weston-fordham-magnolia-leaves-full-text-1897-preface-by-booker-t-washington",
   "https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006775637"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 50,
  "n_stanzas": 12,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 47,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "The earth was young, the world was fair,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And balmy breezes filled the air,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nature reposed in solitude,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When God pronounced it “very good.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The snow-capped mountain reared its head,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The deep, dark forests widely spread,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "O’er pebbly shores the stream did play",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On glad creation’s natal day.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But silence reigned, nor beast nor bird",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Had from its mate a whisper heard,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "E’en man, God’s image from above,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Could not, to Eve, tell of his love.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Where the four rivers met there strayed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The man and wife, no whit afraid,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For the arch-fiend expelled from heaven",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Had not yet found his way to Eden.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But lo! a light from ’mid the tree,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But hark! a rustling ’mongst the leaves,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then a fair Angel from above,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Descending, sang his song of love.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Forth sprang the fierce beasts from their lair,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Bright feathered songsters fill the air,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All nature stirred to centre rang",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When the celestial song began.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The Lion, monarch of the plain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "First tried to imitate the strain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And shaking high his mane he roared,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Till beast and bird around him cohered.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The little Linnet tuned her lay,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Lark, in turn, did welcome day,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And cooing soft, the timid Dove",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Did to his mate tell of his love.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then Eve, the synonym of grace,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Drew nearer to the solemn place,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And heard the words to music set",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In tones so sweet, she ne’er forgot.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The anthems from the earth so rare,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Higher and higher filled the air,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Till Seraphs caught the inspiring strain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And morning stars together sang.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then laggard Adam sauntered near,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "What Eve had heard he too must hear,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But ah! for aye will woman’s voice",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Make man to sigh or him rejoice.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Only the fishes in the deep",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Did not arouse them from their sleep,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "So they alas! did never hear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of the Angel’s visit to this sphere.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nor have they ever said one word",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To mate or man, or beast or bird.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}