Only One Mother – A Poem

May 6th, 2008

I know lots of people are looking for poems for Mother’s Day, so I’ve been on a search to post as many as I can find. Here’s a sweet one by George Cooper (1838-1927) called Only One Mother. Some people use just the second verse…

Only One Mother

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.

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

•Mother's Day in France

•Mother's Day Songs and Poems

•Mother's Day is in December in Indonesia

•Mother’s Day in Haiti

•Craft – Mother’s Day Card

•"Mama te quiero mucho"– Spanish Mother's Day Song

•Spanish Song – I Love You Mommy, with Recording

•Great Father's Day Gift for a Great Dad

•Poems and Songs for Mothers Day

•Poems about Mama by Lola Ridge with an MP3 Recording

•Poem: "Child and Mother" by Eugene Field with an MP3 Recording

•The Victorian Poem "My Mother" is Sung in Cameroon, Africa as a Childrens Song!

•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

•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

This article was posted on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Canada, Countries & Cultures, England, English, George Cooper, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Mother's Day Poems, Mothers Day, Only One Mother, Poems, Poetry, Poets, United Kingdom, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

9 Responses to “Only One Mother – A Poem”

Hannah Says:
May 8th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Hello. I sang this song to my Mother and she loved it!
Mike Says:
January 14th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
This ONE mother in the poem…

Does Mr. Cooper speak of that fact that the Lord generously gave each of us a mother of our own, or does he refer to Mother Earth as being the ONLY mother?

Thank you for your attention.

Mike
David A. Ridge Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
I do see the possible confusion here, but even with this biography I found on the net of him this confusion may not even be eliminated. And, concerning the time in history he found himself in even though people may have been aware of what Hinduism and/or any form of the New Age taught it was not being proselytized as much as it is today.
He lived at that time of “textual criticisim” concerning the Bible, but through “Google Books” I found a copy of “The Chaplet” so I would lean that he intended a mother of our own rather the latter.
Oh, and, as I would revisit this site and I find that this has not been posted and/or deleted, I will consider it understandable and no offense will be taken!
The National Cyclopædia of American Biography
being the History of the United States. Volume VIII, 1898.
George Cooper, poet, was born in the city of New York, May 14, 1840 son of John and Hepzibah Cooper, He was educated in the public schools of his native city, and afterwards studied law under the late Chester A. Arthur. After practicing for a short time, he renounced his profession to devote himself to the vocation to which his natural gifts inclined him. In his early years, he had developed a taste for writing, and before his sixteenth year had begun to contribute acceptable verses to several leading magazines. Encouraged by the success that met his early productions, he wrote constantly, and became a regular contributor to such periodicals as “The Independent,” “Harpers’ Young People,” and “Harper’s Magazine,” “Atlantic Monthly,” “Putman’s Monthly,” “Our Young Folks,” and “Appleton’s Journal.” Writing constantly for more than a decade, Mr. Cooper has frequently enriched the periodical literature of America by verses of much felicity, and has attracted a wide circle, among his poems are always welcomed with pleasure. His happiest verse has been written for children, and in it lies his chief claim to remembrance. A number of his children’s poems have been published in the collection known as “School and Home Melodies;” and he also issued a volume of hymns consisting exclusively of his own writing and entitled, “The Chaplet.” Among his best-known songs are: “Beautiful Isle of the Sea,” “Must We Then Meet as Strangers,” “Sweet Genevieve,” “While the days Are Going By,” and “God Bless the Little Church Around the Corner.” He has written song words for such composers as Wallace, Abt, Thomas, Millard, and Foster. Of His Other poems, “After,” and “Hereafter” are general favorites; the “Ballad of the Storming of Stony Point” was awarded a prize, and “Learning to Walk” was honored by a commendation from the late William Cullen Bryant. Mr. Cooper was married, in 1877, to Mary E., Daughter of William Tyson, and has since resided at Jersey Heights, where he still employs his leisure in writing.
Respectfully and I, am,
In Him,
David.
David A. Ridge. Says:
February 16th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Lisa,
I was trying to send you a thank you note privately for publishing my post but I recieved two notices that it could not be delivered.
The first actually stated that it was delayed the second stated that it could not be delivered.
MamaLisa,
My initial reaction was excitment and then I was humbled at seeing that you had publised my post to your website concerning George Cooper and his poem “Only One Mother.” Humbled!? because, I thank for affording me this small privilege for becoming a part your legacy in these small matters. I added a comment on your “Oz” page concerning “The Wizard of Oz” and I included as a part of that comment a notation concerning The book “The Velveteen Rabbit,” and I highly recommend that book.
Fare thee Well and I, am,
In Him,
David A. Ridge. (Omaha, Nebraska. USA.).
Lisa Says:
February 16th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Thanks David!
Daniel Cooper Says:
August 6th, 2010 at 11:11 am
David, thanks for the biography of George Cooper. With it I can trace my ancestry further than I could before.

I am certain that the poem is about the contrast between the uniqueness of ones mother and the multiplicity in nature. It in no way refers to any concept such as an Earth Mother.
Carla Says:
October 8th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Please post George Cooper’s bio on Wikipedia. While trying to find out information about him there was a Wikipedia page for him, but it was just a name and no additional information.
Madeline Stanley Says:
April 2nd, 2011 at 3:25 pm
I would like to know more about George Cooper who wrote this lovely poem. Was it originally written in English? Many years ago my children were taught to say it in French, but we never knew the name of the author. I’d like to give framed copies of it to my grandchildren both in English and French.
Madeline Stanley Says:
April 2nd, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Sorry, I just put on my glasses and found the entry above from the National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. That seems to say it all.
Many thanks, Mr. Ridge, for posting this information.

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