Short poems in English for children. Rhymes in English for children with translation and pronunciation
Friends, greetings.
I always say: English needs to be learned with interest. Everything should be simple, understandable, comfortable, and most importantly, interesting. And one of the easiest ways to learn a language is to learn poems for children in English.
So, let's go!
For beginners
Here I have collected the shortest and simplest poems. They are very easy to learn.
You can find even more poems, songs and other interesting and exciting materials on the English language for children on my favorite website LinguaLeo. Register for free and start your journey to the country “Oh, how interesting and educational everything is here!”
In general, in this excellent service you can find excellent online courses for schoolchildren of all ages: for example, English for little ones (suitable for primary school - 1st, 2nd grades), Grammar for Beginners (suitable for secondary school - 5th - 7th grades - depending on the program and goals), About yourself and loved ones in English (suitable for middle school children who want to improve their speaking skills) and others.
About the New Year
How to create a New Year's mood? Start learning poetry early. Get ready together for the arrival of the New Year and Santa Claus. I'm sure your child will like it.
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New Year's Day, happy day! We are happy and want to play. We all dance, sing and shout: “Welcome, New Year's Day!” |
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December is the best of all, Snowflakes dance, snowflakes fall. People see the New Year in, When December ends, it will begin. |
December is the best month of all. Snowflakes are dancing, snowflakes are falling. People celebrate New Year When December ends, the New Year begins. |
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Something is about to happen. When we have a big holiday. New Year usually comes at midnight And brings us gifts So sweet and bright. |
About animals
The simplest and most interesting activity for a child is to study animals. Combine these rhymes with some interesting game, and your child will remember the material much faster.
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I'm a little turtle I'm crawling so slow And I drag my house Wherever you go. When I'm tired I hide my head My legs and tail And I go to bed! |
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From the window of my house, I saw a little mouse Was she running? Was she jumping? Was she laughing? Over what? |
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Lady-bird, lady-bird, Your house is on fire, And your children are all gone. And that's little Ann, And she has crept under The warming pan. |
Ladybug, ladybug Fly home. Your house is on fire. All your children have flown away All but one. Little Anne She crawled under the heating pad. |
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A wise-old owl sat in an oak, The more he heard, the less he spoke. The less he spoke the more he heard, Why aren’t everyone like that wise old bird? |
A wise old owl sat on an oak tree. The more she heard, the less she spoke. The less she spoke, the more she listened. Why are we all so different from the wise old owl? |
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Who's that ringing at my doorbell? A little pussy-cat that isn’t very well. Rub its little nose with a little mutton fat. That’s the best cure for a little pussy-cat. |
Who's that ringing at my door? A kitten that is unwell. Rub his nose with lamb fat, This is the best medicine for a kitten. |
About winter
Poems about winter are popular before the New Year. Especially if your school organizes competitions and gives kids prizes for reciting a poem.
My T-shirt is blue, my hat is pink.
My pants are yellow, my socks are green.
Tell me what do you think about this?
My jacket is purple, my shoes are white.
Tell me what do you think about?
My gloves are brown
My scarf is black.
Tell me what do you think about this?
Is she good or bad, what do you think?
Do you like the clothes I'm wearing?
Or do you think I look stupid?
About autumn
Themed poems about autumn create a special atmosphere. Most often they are asked at school, so here is a selection of interesting and not difficult poems.
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Autumn is coming I see the birds flying south And the days are gray and cool. Do the birds look down at me and see That I'm going to school? |
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Leaves are floating Some are red and The wind goes "swish" through the air; When you look back there are no leaves there. |
The leaves are swaying fall down slowly; Some of them are red and some are brown. The wind blows "shhh" in the air; When you look back There are no more leaves. |
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Little leaves are slowly falling Red and yellow, orange and brown, Spinning, spinning around, Falling quietly to the ground. Little leaves are slowly falling And a carpet appears on the ground. Then “shhh” the wind appears, howling, And raises the leaves in a dance into the sky. |
Are these poems suitable for the reading competition? Certainly. They are clear and moderate in complexity.
By the way, it was recently published a new guide for additional English lessons with children junior classes . It is suitable for both lessons with a tutor and home lessons with a child. Having briefly studied it, I can recommend it. Fun, exciting and useful!
But how do you remember all this?
Here are some tips.
- Poems must be translated. When the child clearly understands what these unfamiliar words mean, it will be easier for him.
- Look for audio poems where you can immediately put the correct pronunciation.
- The child should be interested. He won’t teach because he “has to” or because you wanted to. Try to make the learning process an interesting game. I wrote a lot about this on the blog.
- Use modern methods of memory development for yourself and your children, for example, using a special service Brainapps . I wrote about his cool capabilities and Milana’s and my successes.
With this I say goodbye.
In the meantime, I'm preparing new ones for you useful materials, you can subscribe to my newsletter so you don't miss anything.
See you soon!
The English language is very melodic and pleasant to the ear, and therefore learning it can easily be called an exciting activity. But if you are a beginner, and there is still a very, very long time to reach the pinnacle of mastery, over time, learning English may cease to bring joy, and lessons - or rather, self-learning - will become less interesting and productive. To prevent this risk, there is an effective method that is suitable in all respects for both children and adults. It's about learning English through English poetry - that's where the truly diverse vocabulary comes in!
Learning poetry in English is not easy, but at the same time it has several advantages:
- You will immediately learn many new words, which, thanks to the presence of rhyme, are not difficult to remember and master;
- You see how sentences are formed - knowing each word separately will help you less in life than being able to express a thought in English words;
- You get acquainted with creativity in English - in particular, the work of famous American and British poets who gave the world poems in english, have become famous everywhere.
Poems by poets
If you decide to look for poetry in English to learn it faster, most likely you will look for them on the Internet or in the library. In both cases, it is the poems of famous poets that are the first that come to your hand.
By using beautiful poetry in English in teaching, the most effective way is to replenish your literary stock, and at the same time remember for yourself the existing grammatical rules and constructions. Even if the verse does not differ in special sizes, it will be of great service in learning the language, and the learning process itself will bring absolute pleasure.
However, when starting to study English poetry, be sure to understand important point— it will be easier for an adult to learn poetry in English than for a child. The main reason for this is more developed intellectual abilities and memory. Therefore, if a small child is taking English lessons, you should not try to learn the language through poems by famous poets. For this case, short children's poems, which we will discuss later in the article, will be effective.
As for the poems, which are the creation of real British poets, you can find individual nuances in them. First, remember that poems use a predominantly artistic style - and mastering it will be useful for scientific purposes. If you are learning a language for daily conversational use, use this option, but at the same time think about more suitable ones.
Another nuance that is important to know about when taking on English poetry is that in poems, authors can use abbreviations of words, so be prepared for the fact that you will not understand every word immediately, as well as the meaning of individual sentences.
To be convinced of the beauty of English poetry, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the work of several poets known for their poems. We offer their poems in English with translation — try to check for yourself whether you understand the meaning of the poem correctly.
Poem by Lord Byron
Among the most popular representatives of English poetry is Byron. The famous "Sun of the Sleepless" is a perfect example of melodic poetry with deep meaning. The poem was written at the end of 1814, and then completely set to music.
Sun of the Sleepless!
Sun of the sleepless! melancholy star!
(Sleepless sun, sad star),
Whose tearful beam glows tremulously far!
(How tearfully your beam always flickers),
That show's the darkness thou canst not dispel,
(How the darkness is even darker with him)
How like art thou to joy remember’d well!
(How similar it is to the joy of former days)!
So gleams the past, the light of other days,
(This is how the past shines for us in the night of life),
Which shines, but warms not with its powerless rays;
(But the powerless rays no longer warm us),
A nightbeam Sorrow watcheth to behold,
(The star of the past is so visible to me in grief),
Distinct, but distant - clear - but, oh how cold!
(Visible, but distant - light, but cold)!
English poetry of Charlotte Brontë
Her own style and special melody can be traced in the work of Charlotte Bronte. The British poet and novelist is often found in English textbooks today, because her poems are perfectly suited for mastering foreign vocabulary. Try reading the following poem aloud and figuring out what its sentences are about:
LIFE, believe, is not a dream
(Believe that life is not a game of dreams)
So dark as sages say;
(Not a fairy tale dark forest).
Oft a little morning rain
(How often is there a light rain in the morning)
Foretells a pleasant day.
(Promises us a day of miracles)!
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
(Let the sky look gloomy) -
But these are transient all;
(Clouds will fly by);
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
(And the shower of roses will revive),
O why lament its fall?
(Slightly faded).
Rapidly, merrily,
(Crazy, irrevocable),
Life's sunny hours flit by,
(days of life are passing);
Gratefully, cheerfully,
(Cheerful, pleasant),
Enjoy them as they fly!
(They will leave us).
What though Death at times steps in
(So what if death is always there)
And calls our Best away?
(follows life)?
What though sorrow seems to win,
(After all, trouble seems terrible),
O'er hope, a heavy sway?
(When there is no hope).
Yet hope again elastic springs,
(Hope in spite of difficulties)
Unconquered, though she fell;
(Every moment holds us);
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
(She is the wing of calm)
Still strong to bear us well.
(And a spring of fresh strength).
Manfully, fearlessly,
(Even if many are difficult)
The day of trial bear,
(We will meet obstacles here)
For gloriously, victoriously,
(But nice and wonderful)
Can courage quell despair!
(Years of life await us)!
Short poems
Now that you already have an idea of real British poems, it’s time to decide where to start studying poems in english with small children. Agree, the above poems were difficult even for your perception - so there is no doubt that a child beginner would not be able to cope with such a volume of information. In this regard, the best option is to gradually master short poems that use the simplest words and phrases. Often, in books that imply independent study of a foreign language, those poems are specially published where the words are easy to pronounce and, in principle, light and frequently encountered - this will make it easier for the child to understand the meaning of the given poem.
Analyze small sizes poems in english which are offered below. Will you be able to quickly understand the meaning of the poem on your own - or will you need additional help with this?
Snow on the ground.
(Snow on the ground).
Snow on the tree.
(Snow on the trees).
Snow on the house.
(Snow on the house).
(Snow on me)!
Just a few words mentioned in the poem, without extra effort and without much difficulty, formed melodic sentences in a rhyming version!
And here is another version of a short poem in English for memorization:
The leaves are falling
(Leaves are falling)
(One by one).
(Summer is over)
School's begun.
(School has started).
The proposed version of the poem is light and exciting. This is an ideal option for learning English in primary school!
Using the same principle, you can compose or find many more poems. A complete meaning, accessible to understanding, can consist of only four lines of a poem. If the child does not have any difficulties with quatrains, you can gradually begin to write longer poems:
(On a summer day)
Has rain or sun,
(It may rain or shine).
(But anyway)
(It's fun).
To stand in the rain
(Standing in the rain)
That's pouring down
(Which rains from the sky)
(Or lie in the sun)
That paints me brown.
(Sunbathe).
The more poems you and your child can master, the more vocabulary and previously unknown words will remain in memory. Therefore, do not stop there - periodically learn new ones poems in english- both short ones for children and more professional ones from real poets.
Congratulations in verse
Probably, in life, absolutely every person sooner or later faces the need to congratulate someone close to them on an important holiday. And it’s good if this is a person living in your country - in this case, composing and beautifully presenting a congratulation is not difficult.
However, there are increasingly situations when you need to congratulate a person “abroad” on an important date. If one of your relatives and friends lives in an English-speaking country, be prepared to congratulate him not in Russian, but in his “native” English language - and it is imperative to prepare for this in advance.
Any person, be it a relative, colleague, partner, client, will be pleased to receive English congratulations. This is an original way to emphasize your predisposition and strengthen trusting relationships. And given that English is the most widespread and popular language in the world, knowing and being able to write congratulations in English is doubly necessary. Besides, what if not congratulations in English are an ideal way to demonstrate your knowledge and success in learning the language!
You can decide for yourself whether this congratulation will be in prose or in poetic form. However, we guarantee that a poetic congratulation will create a double sensation - after all, this requires twice as much time and effort. Your relatives or friends will definitely appreciate such a gesture.
We bring to your attention several common congratulations in English in poetic form. For example, a beautiful and pleasant birthday greeting:
Birthday girl, today’s your day!
(Birthday girl, today is your day)!
Time to eat cake, sing songs and play!
(Time to eat cake, sing songs and play).
There are so many ways to have birthday fun.
(There are so many ways to have fun on your birthday).
Here’s hoping you get to do every one!
(I hope you try them all)!
Another version of a creative poetic congratulation in English is given below:
Have an amazing birthday!
(May your birthday be amazing)
Have a wonderful life every day,
(May life seem beautiful every day)
May you have plans of success
(And all things are shrouded in amazing success),
And try to avoid making a mess.
(You avoid unnecessary polemics).
Save problems with the “cold” reaction,
(Look at all problems calmly)
Take from love hot satisfaction.
(And enjoy the passion of love).
May all dreams really come true!
(Let all your dreams come true with dignity)!
All the best! Happy Birthday to you!
(Best wishes on your birthday, Se lja Vi)!
Why do you need to know English poems?
So, we have convinced you that English poems exist in a wide variety of versions and can have a wide variety of purposes. Poems themselves are an integral part of the culture of every country and in any language. Using the poetic form, you can creatively express emotions and feelings; in addition, poems are always full of verbal variety. And rhyme, which is the main feature in any poem, helps to remember words and stable expressions in the best possible way. In the English language, both beginners and those who have been mastering the language for a long time use the poetic form for development. The more poems you learn, the more words remain in your memory - and in combination with various other words they can acquire new meanings and meanings.
It doesn’t matter at all at what age you start learning the language, but it is recommended to start studying as early as childhood. From an early age you will be able to remember more information, although at first it will be difficult. Therefore, if your child has started learning English, offer him as many interesting exercises as possible. Small children's poems can be an excellent basis for effective practice.
Finally, let us give once again the main reasons why poetry in English is not only possible, but also necessary to study:
- All learned poems are, to one degree or another, stored in long-term memory, which gives positive results in replenishing vocabulary;
- Every traditional poem contains patterns of English sentence construction. The language is unique in that it has a clear order of use of the members of a sentence. Thus, you learn not only vocabulary in poetry, but also master grammar;
- By studying poems in a foreign language, you help your memory develop and learn associative thinking. Poems in Russian are not always easy to read, and for convenience we use associations, matching words with certain pictures “in our head.” The same thing happens in English speech - this will certainly have a positive effect on your intellectual abilities.
Finally, learning English in poetic form is always interesting and fun! Many poems are humorous and positive in content. Such poems will help improve and establish an emotional mood, charge everyone with optimism, and therefore will do their positive work in promoting linguistics. In schools and higher educational institutions, they also always practice the method of learning the language through the study of poems, allowing students to independently choose a poem to their liking.
Learning poetry in English is not difficult at all. Find some simple poems right now and try to learn a few - just imagine with what pride you will be telling your first English verse to your family and friends! We wish you success in your endeavors. And then - more: try to compose your own poem in English.
» Poems in English with translation
2015-11-21
Hello my beloved readers.
Do you know what was the first thing my daughter learned in English? It was bedtime poem. Every night before going to bed, she says goodbye to all her toys, and then, already climbing into bed, she reads a poem where she says in rhyme “ Good night» to parents and those toys with whom he sleeps. Incredibly, it gives her great pleasure!
So today I decided to help you with it, showing you the most interesting and useful way that I know. I have interesting poems for children in English for you.
Ready to learn how to teach them most effectively?
- Look for poems with translation . These are those who study a language for several years in a row and do not need translation. They are already accustomed to thinking in foreign vocabulary. But at the initial stage, your kids need to understand what they are learning. Therefore, look for poems with translation to make the learning process much easier.
- Learn and teach correct pronunciation. Even if your little one doesn't have obvious pronunciation problems, you still need to listen to how to pronounce words correctly. Pay very close attention to how he speaks. There is no need for something wrong to be driven into his head, which he will then have to get rid of for a long time and persistently. But he tried so hard and taught exactly that way!
- Interest is paramount. I repeat this like a prayer every day: the child should be interested! Learn everything in game form. For example, if you are learning poems about animals, then find pictures of said animals and have your little one point them out while reading. Or depicts an animal. Anything - as long as it arouses his interest and sparkle in his eyes!
- Never force. This point is a continuation of the previous one, but still... never force or torture your children. If the child doesn’t like something, look for another method. He's being capricious for a reason. I can tell you from my own experience of working with children: if you find the right approach and teaching method (and for them) - everyone will like English.
Now let's move closer to the topic - our rhymes! By the way, I give the translation literal, not literary, so that the correspondence of the translated words in Russian and English is clearer. Voiceover of each verse below it.
So, with this great method, it is very easy for children to memorize numbers. See for yourself:
One, two,
I love you.
Three, four,
Touch the floor.
Five, six,
Mix and mix.
Seven, eight,
This is cool.
Nine, ten,
Let's play again!
To make it much more interesting to learn this verse, come up with a movement for each word: let the child show the numbers on his fingers, on the phrase "I love you"- shows a heart, etc.
Poems about family will help you quickly master the vocabulary of relatives:
Good night mom,
Good night dad,
Kiss your little son.
Good night sister,
Good night brother,
Good night everyone!
It is very easy to teach the names of the seasons of the year in this way. And if you combine vocabulary about autumn and words on the topic of color, you can kill 2 birds with one stone!
Autumn is yellow,
Winter is white,
Spring is green,
Summer is bright! 
Autumn leaves are falling down
I'm falling down, falling down,
Autumn leaves are falling down
Yellow, red, orange and brown!
No sunshine, lots of rain,
No warm days, snow again!
No bugs, no bees,
No leaves on the trees.
you must remember
It's November!
Time your training to coincide with appropriate holidays. For example, learn something about the New Year shortly before the holiday. Tell me that in order to receive a gift from Santa Claus New Year's Eve, you will need to recite a poem. Believe me, you won’t even notice how quickly your “child” will run to learn the rhyme.
On the theme of the holidays, I have prepared poems for you about Christmas and New Year: 
One two Three,
It's a Christmas tree!
Three, two, one,
Christmas is fun!
Christmas,
Time for fun
Let's go outside and play right now!
If your child loves to listen (and tell!) not only rhymes, but also much more, then this audio English course exactly for you! Based on positive reviews to many caring mothers, I can confidently recommend it to you too (the rhyme worked out :)). With it, your children will be able to easily memorize new words and at the same time will do it with pleasure.
Well, let's take a break from thematic poems and try something different.
I see green, I see yellow!.
I see this funny boy.
I see white, I see black.
I see this and this and that!
I see pink. I see brown.
I get up and sit down.
I see red, I see blue.
I see you, you and you.
To learn body parts, play a game using the following verse. Let the child name the word and show what this word means on himself.
Touch your eyes
Touch your nose
Touch your mouth
Touch your toes
Touch your ears
Touch your hair
Touch your teeth
Sit on the chair...
Well, are you already eager to start working with your kids?
I really hope this tutorial helps you speed up your learning process. I will also be glad if you share the results and your experience in the comments.
And so that you don’t miss anything interesting, I created a subscription for English goodies. This way you can stay up to date with the most latest news from the world of learning this beautiful language.
The reasons for learning poetry in English are the same as for using songs: any authentic material allows you to hear what “real English” sounds like, not adapted for foreigners.
Why learn poems in English
Memory and pronunciation training are not all the benefits of English poetry as an element of learning. Working with poetry provides many opportunities to personalize classes: you can write an essay based on a poem you like, discuss poetry in English with friends or classmates, practice artistic style letters and get to know the culture of English-speaking countries better. Poems will help break up boring classes and add a touch of aesthetics to the learning process.
How to learn poems
- Choose a poem. The first thing you should focus on is your level of language proficiency. If you are just at the beginning of learning English, long classical poems will not be suitable for you, as they contain many outdated words and complex speech patterns. Therefore, choose short poems with short lines. However, it is important to maintain a balance here, because very simple nursery rhymes will not be interesting to learn and read. Stick to poems that you can get the gist of or that have a Russian translation.
- Write or print the chosen poem on a piece of paper and cut it line by line to make a kind of puzzle. Mix all the lines and try to put them in the correct sequence. This will help you learn the poem and remember new vocabulary at the same time.
- Read English poems out loud to develop correct pronunciation and learn to speak without unnecessary pauses.
- Record on a voice recorder how you read the poem with expression. Listen to your own voice, try to find errors in pronunciation and correct them. Repeat this until you can read the poem perfectly.
- Write your own poem. Choose a simple topic and try to create at least a couple of rhyming quatrains. Don’t chase deep meaning, your task is to learn how to choose a rhyme to English words. To make it more interesting, write a humorous epigram to your friend.
- Choose a poem with dialogue and perform it in a short performance with friends or family. Let everyone learn a small role and try to act it out like in the theater. Excerpts from Shakespeare's classic plays are suitable for this purpose.
Free lesson on the topic:
Irregular English verbs: table, rules and examples
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5 short poems for children
5 short poems for beginners
| A Farewell |
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| My fairest child, I have no song to give you; No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray; Yet, here we part, one lesson I can leave you For every day. Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever; Do noble things, not dream them all day long: And so make life, death, and that vast forever One grand, sweet song. Charles Kingsley |
| Parting |
| My wonderful child, I have no song to give you; There is no joke to dispel the dullness and boredom of the sky; But before we part, there's one lesson I can leave with you. For every day. Be kind, dear, and let the other one be smart; Do noble deeds, don't dream about them: And thus make life, death, and everything after, One big, beautiful song. Charles Kingsley |
5 short poems for intermediate level
5 difficult poems
| Damœtas |
|---|
| In law an infant, and in years a boy, In mind a slave to every vicious joy; From every sense of shame and virtue wean’d, In lies an adept, in deceit a fiend; Vers’d in hypocrisy, while yet a child; Fickle as wind, of inclinations wild; Woman his dupe, his heedless friend a tool; Old in the world, though scarcely broke from school; Damœtas ran through all the maze of sin, And found the goal, when others just begin: Ev’n still conflicting passions shake his soul, And bid him drain the dregs of Pleasure’s bowl; But, pall’d with vice, he breaks his former chain, And what was once his bliss appears his bane. Lord Byron |
| Damet |
| Powerless, like a child, and a boy in years, Soul devoted to murderous passions, Not knowing shame, not believing in virtue, A demon of deceit and a sympathetic witness of lies, A skilled hypocrite from the earliest days, Changeable like a whirlwind in the wildness of the fields, Deceiver of modest maidens, unwary friends, From school years, an expert in false light conditions, - Damet experienced the path of vice to the end And before the rest he reached his crown. But passions, still tormenting the heart, imperiously They tell him to partake of the scum of the passionate cup; Permeated with lust, he breaks chain after chain And in the cup of the former bliss he drinks his destruction. Lord Byron |
| The heart of a song |
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| Dear love, let this my song fly to you: Perchance forget it came from me. It shall not vex you, shall not woo you; But in your breast lie quietly. Only beware, when once it tarries I cannot coax it from you, then. This little song my whole heart carries, And ne’er will bear it back again. For if its silent passion grieve you, My heart would then grow too heavy;- And it can never, never leave you, If the joy of yours must with it go! George Parsons Lathrop |
| Heart of the Song |
| My love! Let this song fly to you You will probably forget that she is my creation... I don’t ask for love and kind words in return, I only know: your heart will become a little warmer. My love will not remain in you forever, It will evaporate and turn into a gray haze on a rainy day... With this song I wanted to tell about the soul, I don’t expect your reciprocity at all, my dear... Tell me, please, to throw off a heavy stone from my soul, Tell me, I pray, I don’t offend you with submissive quiet passion? You are happy - and a fierce flame blazes in your heart! It will be with you both on a hot day and on a stormy day... George Parsons Lasrop |
| Nurse's Song |
|---|
| When voices of children are heard on the green, And laughing is heard on the hill, My heart is at rest within my breast, And everything else is still. ‘Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down, ‘No, no, let us play, for it is yet day, ‘Well, well, go and play till the light fades away, William Blake |
| Evensong |
| Echoes of the game fly from the mountain, The darkening meadow is heard. After a hard day I have no worries. It’s quiet in the heart and quiet around. - Children, children, go home! The day goes out behind the mountain, - No, oh no, not now! The bright day has not faded. - Okay, let's wait, but with the last ray William Blake |
Video about poetry in English:
D. Byron “Romance” (Stances for music)
There be none of Beauty's daughters
With a magic like Thee;
And like music on the waters
Is your sweet voice to me:
When, as if its sound were causing
The charm'd ocean's pausing,
The waves lie still and glaming,
And the lull'd winds seem dreaming:
And the midnight moon is weaving
Her bright chain o»er the deep,
Whose breast is gently heaving
As an infant's asleep:
So the spirit bows before thee
To listen and adore them;
With a full but soft emotion,
Like the swell of Summer's ocean.
No one will argue
Beauty is with you.
And, like music on the sea,
Sweet is your voice!
The noisy sea has calmed down,
As if I obeyed the sounds,
Quietly the bosom of the waters glistens,
Lulled, the wind sleeps.
The expanse of the sea is trembling
Moonbeam, shining.
Quietly the sea rises up,
Like a child in a dream.
So the soul is full of attention,
Enchanted before you;
Everything is quiet, but it’s full,
Like the swell of the seas in summer.
J. G. Byron "She Walks In Beauty"
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climates and starry skies;
And all that "s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow"d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair"d the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o"er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their living place.
And on that cheek, and o"er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
"She's coming in all her glory"
She comes in all her glory -
Light as the night of her country.
The entire depth of the heavens and all the stars
Contained in her eyes.
Like the sun in the morning dew,
But only softened by darkness.
Add a ray or subtract a shadow -
And it won't be the same at all
Agate strand of hair,
Wrong eyes, wrong lips
And the forehead, where the seal of thoughts is
so flawless, so pure.
And this look, and the color bows,
And a light laugh, like a splash of the sea, -
Everything about it speaks of peace.
She keeps peace in her soul.
And if happiness gives,
That very generous hand.
Robert Lee Frost “The Road Not Taken”
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted to wear;
Thought as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Another road
In the autumn forest, at a fork in the road,
I stood, lost in thought, at the turn;
There were two ways, and the world was wide,
However, I could not split myself in two,
And I had to decide on something.
I chose the road that led to the right
And, turning, she disappeared into the thicket.
Untrodden, perhaps, she was.
And it seemed to me that it was more overgrown;
However, both were overgrown.
And both beckoned, pleasing to the eye
Dry yellowish loose foliage.
I left the other one in reserve,
Although I guessed at that hour,
That there is unlikely to be a chance to return.
I'll remember someday
This forest morning is distant:
After all, there was another path before me,
But I decided to turn right -
And that solved everything else.
Rudyard Kipling "If"
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And-which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!
If you don't lose your head,
Even though everyone is crazy, blaming you for it,
If you trust yourself completely,
Moreover, he loves his critics;
If you can wait tirelessly,
Or, being slandered, do not lie,
Or, patiently forgiving hatred,
Don’t try to show superiority;
If you dream, you are not enslaved by a dream,
If you think not for the sake of thoughts themselves,
Kohl, having met with Triumph and Trouble,
You will doubt them with equal force;
If you can bear it, when your word,
Having changed it, they will feed it to fools,
Or the collapsed work of life again
Use dried glue to fasten the pieces together;
If you can put everything on the line,
Risking everything that I managed to win,
And, having lost, return to the start,
Without making it clear that he regretted it;
If you force the heart, nerve and veins
To serve you, even though they can no longer bear it,
Although everything in you is dead, only Will with strength
He repeats: “Hold on!” in order to help them;
If you remember who you are when speaking to a crowd,
With kings you don’t lose simplicity,
If enemy or friend have no power over you,
If you value everyone, without preference;
If you know the importance of every second,
Like a sprinter running a race
Then you receive the whole Earth as a gift,
And, what’s more, son, you are a Man!
Adrian Mitchell “To whom it may concern”
I was run over by the truth one day.
Ever since the accident I’ve walked this way
So stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Heard the alarm clock screaming with pain,
Couldn't find myself so I went back to sleep again
So fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Every time I shut my eyes all I see is flames.
Made a marble phone book and I carved out all the names
So coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
I smell something burning, hope it’s just my brains.
They're only dropping peppermints and daisy-chains
So stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Where were you at the time of the crime?
Down by the Cenotaph drinking slime
So chain my tongue with whiskey
Stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
You put your bombers in, you put your conscience out,
You take the human being and you twist it all about
So scrub my skin with women
Chain my tongue with whiskey
Stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
One day the truth knocked me down
And I've been walking around crippled since that day
So fill my legs with plaster
Lie to me about Vietnam.
I heard the alarm clock, it squealed in pain
I didn’t understand myself and dozed off again
So put pearls in my ears
Fill my legs with plaster
Lie to me about Vietnam.
I close my eyes and see only fire
I made a marble directory of all names
So glue my eyelids with honey
Put pearls in my ears
Fill my legs with plaster
Lie to me about Vietnam.
Something is smoking, I hope my brains
Flower petals scatter from them
So fill my nostrils with onions
Glue my eyelids with honey
Put pearls in my ears
Fill my legs with plaster
Lie to me about Vietnam.
Where were you at the time of the crime?
Did they knead the slurry near the Cenotaph?
So tie my jaw with whiskey
Stuff my nostrils with onions
Glue my eyelids with honey
Put pearls in my ears
Fill my legs with plaster
Lie to me about Vietnam.
To the bombers! Don't blame yourself for anything
Squeeze out everything human thoroughly
And scrape my skin with a woman
Chain my jaw with whiskey
Stuff my nostrils with onions
Glue my eyelids with honey
Put pearls in my ears
Fill my legs with plaster
Lie to me about Vietnam.
Adrian Mitchell “The Castaways or Vote for the Caliban”
A Pacific Ocean -
A blue demi-globe.
Islands like punctuation marks.
A cruising airliner;
Passengers unwrapping pats of butter.
A hurricane arises,
Tosses the plane into the sea.
Five of them, flung onto an island beach,
Survived.
Pacific Ocean -
Blue hemisphere
Below, like punctuation marks, islands,
The plane is humming.
Passengers rustle with butter wrappers.
Suddenly a hurricane comes
He throws the plane into the ocean.
Five passengers
Washed up on the sandy shore,
Saved.
Tom the reporter.
Susan the botanist.
Jim the high jump champion.
Bill the carpenter.
Mary the eccentric widow.
Reporter Vol.
Botanist Susan.
Jim, champion high jumper.
Carpenter Bill.
And the eccentric widow Mary.
Tom the reporter sniffed out a stream of drinkable water.
Susan the botanist identified the banana tree.
Jim the high-jump champion jumped up and down and gave them each a bunch.
Bill the carpenter knocked up a table for their banana supper.
Mary the eccentric widow buried the banana skins, but only after they had asked her twice.
Reporter Tom immediately knew where to look for drinking water.
Botanist Susan easily recognized the banana tree.
Jumping champion Jim plucked a bunch of bananas from the top.
Bill the carpenter built a table for their banana dinner.
Mary, an eccentric widow, buried the banana skins, but only after being asked twice.
They all gathered sticks and lit a fire.
There was an incredible sunset.
Next morning they held a committee meeting.
Tom, Susan, Jim and Bill
Voted to make the best of things.
Mary, the eccentric widow, abstained.
They all looked for wood and then lit a fire.
The sunset was incredible.
The next morning they held a meeting.
Tom, Susan, Jim and Bill
They voted on how best to arrange everything.
Mary, an eccentric widow, abstained.
Tom the reporter killed several dozen wild pigs.
Tanned their skins into parchment
And printed the Island News with the ink of squids.
Susan the botanist developed the new strains of banana
Which tasted of chocolate, beefsteak, peanut butter,
Chicken and boot polish.
Reporter Tom killed several dozen wild pigs,
Made parchment from their skins
And he wrote the news of the island on it in octopus ink.
Botanist Susan has developed new varieties of bananas,
Chocolate, beefsteak, peanut butter,
Chicken and shoe polish.
Jim the high jump champion organized organized games
Which he always won easily.
Bill the carpenter constructed a wooden water wheel
And converted the water’s energy into electricity
Using iron ore from the hills, he constructed lamppost.
They are all worried about Mary, the eccentric widow,
Her lack of confidence and her-
But there wasn’t time to coddle her.
Jumping champion Jim organized sports competitions,
And henceforth he won them with ease.
Carpenter Bill built a wooden water wheel
And began to convert water energy into electricity
Using iron ore, he built a street lamp.
Everyone was worried about Mary, the eccentric widow,
For her lack of self-confidence -
But in any case, there was no time to babysit her.
The volcano erupted, but they dug a trench
And diverted the lava into the sea
Where it found a spectacular pier
They were attacked by the pirates but defeated them
With bamboo bazookas firing
Sea-urchins packed with home-made nitro-glycerin.
There was a volcanic eruption, but they dug a trench,
Sent the lava into the sea
Where, frozen, it became a beautiful pier.
They were attacked by pirates, but they defeated them
With bamboo bazookas,
What did they shoot? sea urchins on homemade nitroglycerin.
They gave the cannibals a dose of their own medicine
And survived an earthquake thanks to their skill in jumping.
Tom had been a court reporter
So he became a magistrate and solved disputes
Susan the Botanist established
A University which also served as a museum.
Jim the high-jump champion
Was put in charge of law enforcement-
Jumped on them when they were bad.
Bill the carpenter built himself a church,
Preached there every Sunday.
They treated the cannibals to their new medicine,
Survived an earthquake thanks to the ability to jump.
Tom used to report from the courtroom,
Therefore, he became a judge and resolved all disputes.
Botanist Susan founded a university
Which also serves as a museum.
High jump champion tops
Law enforcement -
He immediately stopped all disobedience.
Carpenter Bill built himself a church,
I read sermons there on Sundays.
But Mary the eccentric widow…
Each evening she wandered down the island's main street,
Past the Stock Exchange, the Houses of Parliament,
The prison and the arsenal.
Past the Prospero Souvenir Shop,
Past the Robert Louis Stevenson Movie Studios, past the Daniel Defoe Motel
She nervously wandered and sat on the end of the pier of lava,
Breathing heavily
As if at a loss,
As if at a lover,
She opened her eyes wide
To the usual incredible sunset.
Only here is Mary, an eccentric widow...
Every evening she wandered through the central streets of the island,
Past the currency exchange, past the House of Parliament,
Past the prison, past the armory,
Past Robert Louis Stevenson's Motion Picture Studios, past Daniel Dafoe's Motel.
She wandered nervously and then sat down on the edge of the lava pier.
Breathing heavily
As if at a loss,
As if looking at a lover,
Eyes wide open
She contemplated the usual incomparable sunset.
Rudyard Kipling "A Pict Song"
Rome never looks where she threads.
Always her heavy hooves fall
On our stomachs, our hearts or our heads;
And Rome never heeds when we bawl.
Her sentries pass on--that is all,
And we gather behind them in hordes,
And plot to reconquer the Wall,
With only our tongues for our swords.
We are the Little Folk--we!
Too little to love or to hate.
Leave us alone and you"ll see
How can we drag down the State!
We are the worm in the wood!
We are the rot at the root!
We are the taint in the blood!
We are the thorn in the foot!
Mistletoe killing an oak--
Rats gnawing cables in two--
Moths making holes in a cloak--
How they must love what they do!
Yes--and we Little Folk too,
We are busy as they--
Working our works out of view--
Watch, and you"ll see it some day!
No indeed! We are not strong,
But we know Peoples that are.
Yes, and we"ll guide them along
To smash and destroy you in War!
We shall be slaves just the same?
Yes, we have always been slaves,
But you--you will die of the shame,
And then we shall dance on your graves!
Song of the Picts
Rome doesn't want to look
Dropping the weight of hooves
On our heads and on our chests, -
Our cry is silent for him.
The sentries are coming - one, two, -
And we are from behind copper shoulders
We're buzzing about how to recapture Val for us
With tongues against swords.
We are very small, God knows,
Small for good and evil,
But just give us time -
We will burn down the country to the ground.
We are the rot that rots the roots,
We are the thorn that entered the foot,
We are the poison that burns in the blood.
Mistletoe strangles the oak tree,
Moths make holes in rags,
A rat's tooth rubs the fetters -
To each their own.
We are a small creature of a den,
We are also not too lazy to work -
What is sharpening under the noise,
It will be revealed on the proper day.
We are weak, but there will be a sign
To all the hordes behind your Wall -
We will gather them into a fist,
To collapse on you with war.
Captivity will not bother us,
We will live forever as slaves,
But when shame chokes you,
We will dance on your coffins,
We are very small, God knows,
Small for good and evil,
But just give us time -
We will burn down the country to the ground.
We are the worm that gnaws at your trunk,
We are the rot that rots the root,
We are the thorn that entered the foot,
We are the poison that burns in the blood!
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer"s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm"d,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or natures changing course untrimm"d:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest,
Nor shall death brag thou wandrest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest,
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see
So long lives this, and this gives life to them.
Sonnet 18. Shakespeare
Shall I compare your features to a summer day?
But you are nicer, more moderate and more beautiful.
The storm breaks the May flowers,
And our summer is so short-lived!
Then the heavenly eye blinds us,
That bright face is hidden by bad weather.
Caresses, undead and torments us
Nature's random whim.
And your day does not diminish,
The sunny summer does not fade.
And a mortal shadow will not hide you -
You will live forever in the poet's lines.
You will be among the living as long as
As long as the chest breathes and the gaze sees.