The Annotated Edition
A town crier, known as the "Praeco" (Latin for herald), steps up to capture the crowd's attention and announce that a religious Easter play is about to start.
§01Quick summary
§02Themes
§03Line by line
Come, good people, all and each, / Come and listen to our speech!
Editor's note
The herald begins with a lively, straightforward shout to the crowd. The phrase "all and each" is a traditional crier's expression — it signifies that everyone is included, regardless of status. The use of "our" suggests that the Praeco represents the entire acting company, not just himself.
In your presence here I stand, / With a trumpet in my hand,
Editor's note
The herald positions himself right in front of the audience and reveals his prop — the trumpet. This action is embedded in the verse itself. The trumpet served as the go-to instrument for medieval town criers and theatrical announcers, so the imagery instantly evokes the historical context.
To announce the Easter Play, / Which we represent to-day!
Editor's note
Here, the Praeco describes his role clearly: he acts as a living program note. The term "represent" reflects its traditional meaning of "perform" or "re-present" — bringing a past event back to life for the audience. The exclamation mark adds a lively, communal spirit.
First of all we shall rehearse, / In our action and our verse,
Editor's note
"Rehearse" in this context means "recount" or "go through" rather than the modern notion of practice. The phrase "action and our verse" indicates that this is a complete theatrical production, combining movement on stage with spoken or sung text, which were the two fundamental elements of medieval drama.
The Nativity of our Lord, / As written in the old record
Editor's note
The play opens with its subject: the birth of Jesus. By referencing "the old record," it establishes a sense of religious authority for the performance. This signals to the audience that what they are witnessing is not a work of fiction but a faithful retelling of sacred history.
Of the Protevangelion, / So that he who reads may run!
Editor's note
The Protevangelion, also known as the Infancy Gospel of James, is an early Christian text that provides additional details about the Nativity that are missing from the canonical Gospels. The closing line references Habakkuk 2:2 — "write the vision and make it plain, that he may run that readeth it" — suggesting that the story is so straightforward and vivid that anyone passing by can understand it quickly. It's a bold, almost playful sign-off from the herald.
Blows his trumpet.
Editor's note
This stage direction, included in the poem's text, marks the herald's last action. The trumpet blast serves as a theatrical cue and a punctuation mark — it wraps up the prologue and ushers in the world of the play. Longfellow adds it to the verse to capture the essence of the medieval dramatic tradition he is emulating.
§04Tone & mood
§05Symbols & metaphors
§06Historical context
§07FAQ
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