Revisit the childlike wonder of reading with these nostalgic rhymes and poems.
Nursery rhymes seem to be a thing of the past. Isn’t that sad? I know growing up for us(my sister and I), Mother Goose wasn’t just a tool to assist in learning.. Rhymes were our goodnight kisses.
They’re an endearing and creative way to help with speech, memory, and comprehension.. When they aren’t candy coated cautionary tales. Like ‘Grimm’s Fairytales‘, many nursery rhymes were also treated as quiet warnings for children.
-Just look at ‘Ring Around the Rosie‘, it was originally inspired by the Bubonic plague.
I’d like to believe that most are just a good bit of fun.
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Whether the weather be fine,
or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold,
or whether the weather be hot,
We’ll weather the weather,
whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not.
When you live in the south, you get what you get, and you better be grateful.. Because that’s what you got. And that’s all you get.
For want of a nail the shoe was lost
For want of a shoe the horse was lost
For want of a horse the rider was lost
For want of a rider the battle was lost
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail
Most rhymes and riddles are wonderfully entertaining on their own, however, the lessons subtly woven behind the words are absolutely beneficial for children to grow up learning.
“For every evil under the sun,
There is a remedy, or there is none.
If there be one, try and find it;
If there be none, never mind it.”
I’ve lived with dyslexia(a reading disorder that affects the way you process language) since I was a child and rhymes were used quite often as a helpful trick for remembering numbers, facts, and all kinds of random information. If you can rhyme it or give it a good cadence.. it can be an incredibly effective means for organizing your thoughts.
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
I feel like growing up hearing and reading Mother Goose gave me more of an opportunity to appreciate poetry as well.
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells
And pretty maids all in a row.
And while poetry is a breathtaking adventure into many of the more emotional aspects of writing..
Nursery rhymes will always hold a special place in my heart.
“I left the fairy tales lying on the floor of the nursery, and I have not found any books so sensible since.”
― G.K. Chesterton
Seems I’m feeling nostalgic today.
I hope you enjoyed my random walk down memory lane!
Do you enjoy reading(or writing) nursery rhymes?
Are they still relevant today, with all the access kids have to information, or are they merely an outdated and antiquated tradition?
What’s your favorite nursery rhyme?
I remember my mom reading nursery rhymes to me, Sheri, and me reading them to my daughter. Some of them are so dark (like Ring Around the Rosie, Old Mother Hubbard, There was an Old Woman who Lived in the Shoe). I can understand why they aren’t read as often, but you’re also right that they were fun rhymes. My grandson was brought up on Shel Silverstein. 🙂
It’s such a shame. Some of my most wonderful childhood memories are linked to nursery rhymes. I would also read them to my nieces in strange, dramatic voices and their laughter still follows me. I’m so happy to hear that others have similar traditions! 😊
I read and sing nursery rhymes to my grandchildren all the time. We sing London Bridges, Do You know the Muffin Man, Ring Around the Rosie, Humpty Dumpty and more.
That’s so great! It’s such a fantastic way to sneak in lovely memories everyone will look back on fondly. ☺