-
Sep 12, 1475
Little Boy Blue
Little Boy Blue was written about Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (1475-1530). Wolsey was an a pretentious and rich self-made with many enemies in England. After getting his degree from Oxford at the age of fifteen, he was given the title of "Boy Bachelor." The words "come blow your horn" likely refer to his constant bragging -
Jan 1, 1500
Middle Age Poetry
Medieval children mostly consisted of poetry, lullabies, nursery rhymes, and songs, riddles, tongue twisters, and nonsensical verses. Most of children’s poetry had a common theme of romance, adventure and/or comic tales. These poems were written to show children good behavior, table manners, hunting skills, and even learn Latin and French. Poems of the middle ages were written in Latin or French but have been translated into English. -
Jan 1, 1500
Middle Age Poetry Before the Printing Press
Before the creation of the printing press and our mass access to literature, hand written books were only for those with the privilege to afford them. Due to the lack of books and technology at this time period, most kids would only get to access oral poetry. Imagery didn’t depend on pictures, because they were for the most time unavailable, but on the child’s imagination -
Sep 12, 1510
Simple Simon
In the days before fast food and convenience stores were invented food was sold from street sellers from trays of food. A fair was an extremely popular place to sell 'your ware' the tradition and history of fairs dates back to Medieval England. -
Jan 1, 1542
The Renaissance and the Printing Press
During the Renaissance there was a significant development that paved the way for children’s literature (and poetry), which was the printing press. This moveable-type printing press made it possible to print books in quantities which increased literacy and distribution of knowledge to children. -
Jack Sprat
Early 17th century children’s literature was not of its own category so the literature that did exist was very moralistic and educational. Most poetry that existed came in the form of nursery rhymes and was intended for all to enjoy. John Clarke’s nursery rhyme “Jack Sprat” is a great example of poetry from this century. -
Jack Sprat II
Even though the verses seem light-hearted and for children, the poem is a reference to parliament and how they refused to finance King Charles (Jack Sprat) when he declared war on Spain.
“Jack Sprat could eat no fat
His wife could eat no lean
And so betwixt the two of them
They licked the platter clean..” -
Age of Puritans and A Book for Boys and Girls
The age of puritans is when people believed children were inherently evil and needed to become aware of that evilness. Literature was specifically directed at children so they could understand the bible in hopes of saving their souls. “A Book for Boys and Girls, or, Country Rhymes for Children” written by John Bunyan is specifically directed at children and uses verse to teach the Ten Commandments and other Christian lessons.
“Thou shalt not have another god than me:.." -
Mother Goose
Today the figure of Mother Goose is known as an imaginary author with a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes for children. However, Charles Perrault produced the first collection of stories with the name “Contes du ma mere l’oye” meaning “Mother Goose Tales”. This book consisted of ten fairy tales, some of which we are familiar with today, “The Sleeping Beauty” and even “Cinderella”. These stories seem like they are for children, but Perrault’s audience was King Louis XIV royal court. -
Nursey Rhymes
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems and songs for young children. Most nursery rhymes were not written down until the 18th century, when the publishing of children's books began to move from education towards entertainment, but there is evidence of many rhymes existing before this. -
Tommy Thumb's Song Book
Tommy Thumb's Song Book is the earliest known collection of British nursery rhymes printed in 1744. No original copy has survived, but its content has been recovered from later reprints. Many of the rhymes in the book are still well known such as;
-Baby on the Tree Top, Patty Cake & London Bridge. -
Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book
Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book is the earliest known printed collection of English language nursery rhymes. It was a sequel to the lost Tommy Thumb's Song Book and contains the oldest version of many well-known nursery rhymes such as; Baa Baa Black Sheep, Hickory Dickory Dock, London Bridge is Falling Down and Mary Mary Quite Contrary. -
Mother Goose
Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. John Newbery was believed to have published a compilation of English nursery rhymes titled Mother Goose's Melody, or, Sonnets for the Cradle in the 1760s. However, it is now thought to be untrue and the first edition was probably published in 1780 or 1781 by Thomas Carnan, one of his successors. -
"Original Poems for Infant Minds" by Ann and Jane Taylor
During the early period of the 1800s, children's poetry was initially intended to instruct children about virtues and values and the importance of religion. "Original Poems for Infant Minds" by Ann and Jane Taylor were the first to go against this philosophy and persuaded parents to encourage their children's growing intelligence. It's also best known today for including the first and full version of the poem "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". -
"The Butterfly's Ball" by William Roscoe
The 1800s brought in the golden age of book illustrations and picture books. "The Butterfly's Ball" by William Roscoe is a children's picture book, integrating illustrations and poetry. It's recognized as a book written for children 'just for fun', that didn't include morals to be taught or lessons to be learned. It was an incredibly popular book and helped develop poetic imagination in children's poetry. -
Limericks
A limerick is a humorous, witty, and often rude poem of three long and two short verses. It was popularized by Edward Lear. -
"A Book of Nonsense" by Edward Lear
"A Book of Nonsense" is a collection of limericks and illustrations by Edward Lear. The book introduced a new concept – of poems having no point and a made up words being used – called 'nonsense poetry' that brought on the next stage of children's poetry. Edward Lear was best known for his limericks but was also capable of writing longer poems such as "The Owl and the Pussy-cat" and "The Dong with a Luminous Nose." -
Haiku
"Hokku" (Starting Verse) by Matsuo Bashō was renamed Haiku by Masaoka Shiki in the late 1800s. It's a Japanese poem with seventeen syllables that's split into three verses of five, seven, and five. -
Ballad
Ballad derives from the French word 'ballade' meaning 'dancing songs'. A ballad is a poem narrating a story set to music. In the 1800s ballads became love songs with slow melodies and romantic or sentimental verses accompanying the music. -
"Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense poem found in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There". He's best known for his novel "Alice in Wonderland" and its sequel. His stories are known to be 'childlike' in text but with complex ideas and mature emotions portrayed through the protagonist. Both Carroll and Lear are recognized to have inspired fantasy as a major genre in children's literature. -
Nursery Rhymes
In the 1900's nursery rhymes appeared on paper. They were inspired by historical events and situations. For example, Baa Baa Blacksheep is about taxation. Humpty Dumpty was about a cannon that accidently fell off a castle wall in Scotland. And the London Bridge really did burn down. -
Dr.Seuss
Dr.Seuess is one author that we all know and love. He began writing in 1937 with his first book, "And to Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street." After many rejections from publishers his friend finally published this book and it became very successful. Later he wrote 40 more children's books using rhyming couplets that are silly but make sense to his stories such as, "Cat and the Hat," "The Lorax," "Green Eggs and Ham," and many others. -
Shel Silverstein
He is the author of, "The Giving Tree" which was published in 1964 but started writing a year earlier when his friend suggested him to. He also wrote, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" in 1974 and recieved the New York Times Outstanding Book Award for it. -
Benefits of Poetry for Children
Today, young children and students still sing nursery rhymes and read Dr.Seuess books. By doing either they get the benefit of playing with words and language. The rhymes and patterns may excite them and can also build foundations to read. For older students like us, we may grab a Seuss book but if you're reading a free verse poem for example, it can have more complex thoughts, ideas, and deeper emotion.
