It fell upon a summer day
It fell upon a summer day. Stopford Augustus Brooke* (1832-1916).
This hymn was first published in Brooke’s Christian Hymns (1881). It has been printed in full because it is an interesting example of Brooke’s work: his liking for long hymns, and his broad moral sympathies. The attractive innocence of children is linked to the idea of ‘quiet work and simple word’, and the belief that the world is sweet and that God’s love can be found everywhere.
After the description of the first three stanzas (taken from Mark 10:14) it uses the phrase ‘enter into the kingdom of God’ to lead in to a noble prayer for a good and innocent life. The text in 1881 had ten stanzas:
It fell upon a summer day,...
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MLA style (see MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd Ed.)
. "It fell upon a summer day."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press. Web. 31 May. 2025.<
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/i/it-fell-upon-a-summer-day>.
Chicago style (see The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Ed.)
. "It fell upon a summer day."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed May 31, 2025,
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/i/it-fell-upon-a-summer-day.