Famous Nursery Rhymes Poems by Famous Poets

These are examples of famous Nursery Rhymes poems written by some of the greatest and most-well-known modern and classical poets. PoetrySoup is a great educational poetry resource of famous nursery rhymes poems. These examples illustrate what a famous nursery rhymes poem looks like and its form, scheme, or style (where appropriate).

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When Jenny Wren Was Young

by Mother Goose
'Twas once upon a time, when Jenny Wren was young,
So daintily she danced and so prettily she sung,
Robin Redbreast lost his heart, for he was a gallant bird.
So he doffed his hat to Jenny Wren, requesting to be heard.

"Oh, dearest Jenny Wren, if you will but be mine,
You shall feed on cherry pie and drink new currant wine,
I'll dress you...Read more of this...

My Love

by Mother Goose
Saw ye aught of my love a-coming from the market?
  A peck of meal upon her back,
  A babby in her basket;
Saw ye aught of my love a-coming from the market?...Read more of this...

Three Blind Mice

by Mother Goose
Three blind mice! See how they run!
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife.
Did you ever see such a thing in your life
As three blind mice?...Read more of this...

Pairs Or Pears

by Mother Goose
Twelve pairs hanging high,
Twelve knights riding by,
Each knight took a pear,
And yet left a dozen there....Read more of this...

Sulky Sue

by Mother Goose
Here's Sulky Sue,
What shall we do?
Turn her face to the wall
Till she comes to....Read more of this...

Baby Dolly

by Mother Goose
Hush, baby, my dolly, I pray you don't cry,
And I'll give you some bread, and some milk by-and-by;
Or perhaps you like custard, or, maybe, a tart,
Then to either you're welcome, with all my heart....Read more of this...

Willy, Willy

by Mother Goose
Willy, Willy Wilkin
Kissed the maids a-milking,
    Fa, la, la!
And with his merry daffing
He set them all a-laughing,
    Ha, ha, ha!...Read more of this...

Handy Pandy

by Mother Goose
Handy Pandy, Jack-a-dandy,
Loves plum cake and sugar candy.
He bought some at a grocer's shop,
And out he came, hop, hop, hop!...Read more of this...

Hot Codlins

by Mother Goose
There was a little woman, as I've been told,
Who was not very young, nor yet very old;
Now this little woman her living got
By selling codlins, hot, hot, hot!...Read more of this...

Lock And Key

by Mother Goose
"I am a gold lock."
"I am a gold key."
"I am a silver lock."
"I am a silver key."
"I am a brass lock."
"I am a brass key."
"I am a lead lock."
"I am a lead key."
"I am a don lock."
"I am a don key!"...Read more of this...

Little Jack Horner

by Mother Goose
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
    Eating of Christmas pie:
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
    And said, "What a good boy am I!"...Read more of this...

Lucy Locket

by Mother Goose
Lucy Locket lost her pocket,
Kitty Fisher found it;
Nothing in it, nothing in it,
But the binding round it....Read more of this...

The Little Moppet

by Mother Goose
    I had a little moppet,
    I put it in my pocket,
And fed it with corn and hay.
    There came a proud beggar.
    And swore he should have her;
And stole my little moppet away....Read more of this...

Robin And Richard

by Mother Goose
Robin and Richard were two pretty men,
They lay in bed till the clock struck ten;
Then up starts Robin and looks at the sky,
"Oh, brother Richard, the sun's very high!
You go before, with the bottle and bag,
And I will come after on little Jack Nag."...Read more of this...

The Dusty Miller

by Mother Goose
Margaret wrote a letter,
Sealed it with her finger,
Threw it in the dam
For the dusty miller.
Dusty was his coat,
Dusty was the siller,
Dusty was the kiss
I'd from the dusty miller.
If I had my pockets
Full of gold and siller,
I would give it all
To my dusty miller....Read more of this...

Hark! Hark!

by Mother Goose
Hark, hark! the dogs do bark!
  Beggars are coming to town:
Some in jags, and some in rags,
  And some in velvet gown....Read more of this...

The Cock And The Hen

by Mother Goose
"Cock, cock, cock, cock,
I've laid an egg,
Am I to gang ba--are-foot?"

"Hen, hen, hen, hen,
I've been up and down
To every shop in town,
And cannot find a shoe
To fit your foot,
If I'd crow my hea--art out."...Read more of this...

The Man Of Tobago

by Mother Goose
There was an old man of Tobago
Who lived on rice, gruel, and sago,
    Till much to his bliss,
    His physician said this:
"To a leg, sir, of mutton, you may go."...Read more of this...

Candle-Saving

by Mother Goose
To make your candles last for aye,
You wives and maids give ear-O!
To put them out's the only way,
Says honest John Boldero....Read more of this...

Clap Handies

by Mother Goose
    Clap, clap handies,
Mammie's wee, wee ain;
    Clap, clap handies,
Daddie's comin' hame,
Hame till his bonny wee bit laddie;
    Clap, clap handies,
    My wee, wee ain....Read more of this...

When The Snow Is On The Ground

by Mother Goose
The little robin grieves
    When the snow is on the ground,
For the trees have no leaves,
    And no berries can be found.

The air is cold, the worms are hid;
    For robin here what can be done?
Let's strow around some crumbs of bread,
    And then he'll live till snow...Read more of this...

The Little Girl With A Curl

by Mother Goose
There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid....Read more of this...

A Counting-Out Rhyme

by Mother Goose
Hickery, dickery, 6 and 7,
Alabone, Crackabone, 10 and 11,
Spin, spun, muskidun,
Twiddle 'em, twaddle 'em, 21....Read more of this...

Jack And His Fiddle

by Mother Goose
"Jacky, come and give me thy fiddle,
  If ever thou mean to thrive."
"Nay, I'll not give my fiddle
  To any man alive.

"If I should give my fiddle,
  They'll think that I've gone mad;
For many a joyous day
  My fiddle and I have had."...Read more of this...

About The Bush

by Mother Goose
About the bush, Willie,
    About the beehive,
About the bush, Willie,
    I'll meet thee alive....Read more of this...

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