Search the Community

Nursery Rhymes probably didn't begin in the nursery. They are not rhymes created by children but by adults for children. Often the lyrics are to teach or warn in a positive fun way. Some popular rhymes date back to oral traditions, Latin and Greek and 14th century England but it wasn't until the 18th century that they began to be written down. The early nursery rhymes were not just written to entertain children, many reflected the events of the times. The popular Ring Around the Rosey is thought to describe symptoms of the Black Plague of the Middle Ages. Most Nursery Rhymes written in English are in accentual meter and often use the ballad stanza. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the kings horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Ring around the rosies a pocket full of poesies ashes ashes, all fall down. Symptoms of the Black Plague of the 14th century are described in this Nursery Rhyme. Apparently one symptom was sores or rosies that had a rings around them, poesies were flowers for a funeral and ashes for the cremated remains of the dead. Playground Rhyme is an offshoot of the Nursery Rhyme, though in this genre the children are a little older and the poems have been written both by kids and adults, often focusing on counting and used for hopscotch or jump-rope activities. Then again they can be a teaching tool to assist the memory and need not involve numbers at all. In all cases the rhythm, rhyme and repetition should be catchy to be easily remembered. M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i “Captal M - I - crooked letter Crooked letter I Crooked Letter Crooked letter I Humpback humpback I Mississippi!” Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, that will do! Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the lights, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say goodnight!

Passing Through The cat's on the hunt, there's flowers out front and sass in the grass singin' "worries will pass" "worries will pass" Time moves on from sunset to dawn the ground spinning round singin' "all seasons pass" "all seasons pass" Come summer heat, again we will meet, the sun is not done singin' "worries will pass" "worries will pass" Soon back to school with change in the rules when trees shed their leaves singin' "all seasons pass" "all seasons pass" Then cold winter frost where dreams are not lost, they sleep in the deep dreamin' "worries will pass" "worries will pass" And just like that the flowers are back, Spring's exact pact singin' "all seasons pass" "take time to kick ass". ~~Judi Van Gorder