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Contents

Jane Taylor’s Poem about a Pussy-cat is about How Kids Should Treat Pets

“My Mother” a Victorian Poem

The Origin of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Posts

Jane Taylor’s Poem about a Pussy-cat is about How Kids Should Treat Pets

Monday, August 24th, 2009

The poem below by Jane Taylor (1783-1824) is about a child telling how gently she will handle her little pussy-cat. The 1st two verses can be found in many collections of nursery rhymes. If you read the whole poem, you can see how it could be a good one to read to children with pets… talking about how to treat them nicely.

Little Pussy
By Jane Taylor

I love little Pussy,
Her coat is so warm;
And if I don’t hurt her
She’ll do me no harm.

So I’ll not pull her tail,
Nor drive her away,
But Pussy and I
Very gently will play.

She shall sit by my side,
And I’ll give her some food;
And she’ll love me because
I am gentle and good.

I’ll pat little Pussy,
And then she will purr,
And thus show her thanks
For my kindness to her.

I’ll not pinch her ears,
Nor tread on her paw,
Lest I should provoke her
To use her sharp claw.

I never will vex her,
Nor make her displeased,
For Puss doesn’t like
To be worried or teased.

MP3 of Little Pussy-cat

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, England, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Jane Taylor, Languages, Little Pussy-cat, Nursery Rhymes, Poetry, Poets, USA | 2 Comments »

“My Mother” a Victorian Poem

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

In many countries around the world, Mother’s Day is in May.

Below is a quaint poem I found called “My Mother”. It was written by Ann Taylor (1783 –1866). She’s the sister of Jane Taylor, the author of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Ann and Jane published books of rhymes and poems together.

The illustrations below were done by Walter Crane. Here’s what Crane wrote about it in 1910:

“My Mother” is mid-Victorian-just after crinolines had gone out-but mothers are always in fashion, bless them…

Crinolines are so old-fashioned that many of us in the 21st century are no longer familiar with the word! Crinolines were hoop petticoats worn under skirts to give them a wide round shape. They were often made out of steel to support and widen the look of the skirt. Ladies, let’s all be glad we’re not too familiar with this word!

So here’s the poem with Cranes sweet illustrations…

My Mother

Who fed me from her gentle breast,
And hush’d me in her arms to rest,
And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?
My Mother.

When sleep forsook my open eye,
Who was it sung sweet hushaby,
And rock’d me that I should not cry?
My Mother.

Who sat and watched my infant head,
When sleeping in my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
My Mother.

When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
My Mother.

Who dress’d my doll in clothes so gay,
And taught me pretty how to play.
And minded all I had to say?
My Mother.

Who taught my infant lips to pray,
And love God’s holy book and day.
And walk in Wisdom’s pleasant way?
My Mother.

And can I ever cease to be
Affectionate and kind to thee,
Who was so very kind to me?
My Mother

Ah, no! the thought I cannot bear;
And if God please my life to spare,
I hope I shall reward thy care,
My Mother.

Who ran to help me when I fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the place to make it well?
My Mother.

When thou art feeble, old, and gray,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away.
My Mother.

And when I see thee hang thy head,
‘Twill be my turn to watch thy bed.
And tears of sweet affection shed,
My Mother.

For God, who lives above the skies,
Would look with vengeance in His eyes,
If I should ever dare despise
My Mother.

[Note from Mama Lisa: Taylor later softened the last verse, changing it to the following.]

For could our Father in the skies
Look down with pleased or loving eyes,
If ever I could dare despise
My Mother.

PS

Here are some other posts about Mother’s Day, including other poems:

•Only a Mother's Love - A Spanish Poem with an MP3 Recording

•MY MOTHER. - A Poem

•Does Anyone Know Any Mothers Day songs or poems in Romanian?

•Mother's Day in Mexico with a Spanish Song

•Only One Mother - A Poem

•A Mother's Day Poem That Kids Recite in France

•"My Mother" a Victorian Poem

•Hold a Concert in Your House - Another Way to Make Music a Part of Your Family's Life

•A Hebrew Song for Mother's Day called "Mommy, Precious to Me"

•A Bolivian Song about May in Spanish with an English Translation

•A Mothers' Day Song and Rhyme in Spanish with English Translations

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Posted in Ann Taylor, Australia, Canada, Countries & Cultures, Crinoline, England, English, Great Britain, Holidays Around the World, Jane Taylor, Languages, Mama Lisa, Mother's Day Poems, Mothers Day, My Mother, Poems, Poetry, Poets, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Poem, USA, Words & Phrases | 21 Comments »

The Origin of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Monday, June 18th, 2007

People all around the world are familiar with the tune to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. It’s at least 245 years old! The tune is originally from France and it was first seen in print in Paris in 1761 – though the current song, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star didn’t exist back then.

In the 1770’s, a poem called, Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman (Ah! Will I tell you, Mother), was set to the Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star tune and printed. The poem was a melodramatic love poem.

Later, a parody of the love song developed. It was also called Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman. This one is still loved by French children today:

Listen to Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman

Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman
(French)

Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman
Ce qui cause mon tourment ?
Papa veut que je raisonne
Comme une grande personne
Moi je dis que les bonbons
Valent mieux que la raison.

Ah! Will I tell you, Mommy
(English)

Ah! Will I tell you, Mommy
What is tormenting me?
Daddy wants me to reason
Like a grown up person
Me, I say that sweets
Are worth more than reason.

In 1781-2 Mozart wrote his Variations on “Ah vous dirais-je, Maman”. Many people think he wrote the tune to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. He didn’t! He just created a wonderful piece based on the tune.

We have to travel over to England in 1806 to find the origins of the lyrics of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. That’s when Jane Taylor and her sister Ann published their second book of poems for children, called Rhymes for the Nursery. Jane wrote the poem, The Star, for the book. This is the poem the song is based on:

The Star

The Poem by Jane Taylor

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark,-
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

It’s a bit of a mystery when the poem and the tune came together to form the wonderful song Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. It seems like the first time they’re seen in print as a song was in 1838, in a book called The Singing Master. Here’s the song as children sing it in English today:

Listen to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

The wonderful song has traveled around the world in many languages. You can find it in Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Turkish and many other languages. If you’d like to share a version from your country, please email me.

Many thanks to Isa Santoveña for the midi tune, to Monique Palomares for the translation of Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman, and to Tiphaine Woerth for singing Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman for us!

-Lisa

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Posted in Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman, American Kids Songs, Australia, Belgium, British Children's Songs, Canada, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, England, English, France, French, French Kids Songs, Great Britain, Jane Taylor, Languages, MP3 of Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman, MP3 of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, MP3's, Mexico, Poems, Poetry, Poets, Recordings of Songs, Sweden, The Star, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Poem, USA | 18 Comments »

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