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Poems Every Child Should Know

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<h3>Father William.</h3> <div class="pre_poem">"Father William" a parody by Lewis Carroll (1833-), is even more clever than the original. Harmless fun brightens the world. It takes a real genius to create wit that carries no sting. </div> <table class="poem" summary="poem"><tr><td><div class="stanza"> "You are old, Father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head— Do you think, at your age, it is right?" </div> <div class="stanza"> "In my youth," Father William replied to his son, "I feared it might injure the brain; But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again." </div> <div class="stanza"> "You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before, And have grown most uncommonly fat; Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door— Pray, what is the reason of that?" </div> <div class="stanza"> "In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks, "I kept all my limbs very supple By the use of this ointment—one shilling the box— Allow me to sell you a couple." </div> <div class="stanza"> "You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak: Pray, how did you manage to do it?" </div> <div class="stanza"> "In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, And argued each case with my wife; And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw Has lasted the rest of my life." </div> <div class="stanza"> "You are old," said the youth; "one would hardly suppose That your eye was as steady as ever; Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose— What made you so awfully clever?" </div> <div class="stanza"> "I have answered three questions, and that is enough," Said his father, "don't give yourself airs! Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? Be off, or I'll kick you down-stairs!" </div> </td></tr></table> Lewis Carroll. ("Alice in Wonderland.") <h3>The Nightingale and the Glow-worm.</h3> <div class="pre_poem">"The Nightingale," by William Cowper (1731-1800), is a favourite with a teacher of good taste, and I include it at her request. </div> <table class="poem" summary="poem"><tr><td><div class="stanza"> A nightingale, that all day long Had cheered the village with his song, Nor yet at eve his note suspended, Nor yet when eventide was ended, Began to feel, as well he might, The keen demands of appetite; When, looking eagerly around, He spied far off, upon the ground, A something shining in the dark, And knew the glow-worm by his spark; So, stooping down from hawthorn top, He thought to put him in his crop. The worm, aware of his intent, Harangued him thus, right eloquent: "Did you admire my lamp," quoth he, "As much as I your minstrelsy, You would abhor to do me wrong, As much as I to spoil your song; For 'twas the self-same power divine, Taught you to sing and me to shine; That you with music, I with light, Might beautify and cheer the night." The songster heard his short oration, And warbling out his approbation, Released him, as my story tells, And found a supper somewhere else. </div> </td></tr></table> William Cowper. <div class="chapter"> <h2>PART II. The Little Child</h2> <ANTIMG class="plain" src="images/part2.png" alt="A dog and a cat" title="A dog and a cat" height-obs="300" width-obs="278" /></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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