WHAT STORY OR POEM CAN YOU USE TO ENTERTAIN BY RECITING FROM MEMORY?
Our mother used to tell us the story of 5 little Jack O' Lanterns sitting on the gate and our father used to recite the Three bears in Spanish. I love to tell children the story of Lil' Orphant Annie "an the goblins el git ya efen ya don' watch out." and Ron could recite The Cremation of Sam McGee.
There was a crooked man
ReplyDeleteThat walked a crooked mile
He found a crooked sixpence
Upon a crooked stile
He bought a crooked cat
Which caught a crooked mouse
And they all live together
In a little crooked house.
FYI: I never knew what a sixpence was until I went to Ireland. I don't like cats or mice. I tell my carpenters at work that we will never build a crooked house.
Not a story or a poem but a song.
ReplyDeleteBig Boots by Elvis Presley.
They call your daddy Big Boots
And Big Boots is his name
It takes a big man to wear big boots
That's your daddy's claim to fame
They know your daddy Big Boots
Wherever soldiers are
'Cause he can handle an armored tank
Just like a kiddy car
So sleep little soldier
Don't you cry
Loo loo loo loo
Loo loo loo
General sandman's soon coming by
Loo loo loo loo
Loo loo loo
I'm gonna tell you a little secret
You won't believe it's true
Did you know your
Daddy Big Boots
Once wore little boots like you
I can recite "Twas the Night Before Christmas", Mark Anthony' Eulogy from Julius Cesear, The 23rd Psalm and John chapter 3 all from memory. There are many more poems and Bible chapters that I can also recite. The one that clearly did not entertain my children was
ReplyDeleteA birdie with a yellow bill
Hopped upon my window sill
Cocked it's shining head and said
Out of bed you sleepy head.
They also didn't like
Have patience, have patience
Don't be in such a hurry,
Remember, Remember it only causes worry
Remember, Remember that God has patience too
And think of all the times that others have had to wait on you.
'There are holes in the sky where the rain gets in,
ReplyDeleteBut they are ever so small,
That's why rain is thin.'
And rather a lot of The Just So Stories'. And snippets of lots of other things. It is crowded, and jumbled in my head.
Jack and Jill
ReplyDeleteAlso Little Miss Muffett
There are a lot in Hindi too. I am trying to teach my grand kids some of the games we used to play in India.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Irish blessing.
May those that love us, love us
And those that don't love us
May God turn their hearts.
And if he can't turn their hearts
May he turn their ankles
So we will know them by their limping.
I read so many Mother Goose rhymes to my children I could probably recite dozens of them from memory, but My grand children aren't so easily impressed or entertained.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Olga, and mine don't entertain easily either. I know snippets of some poems, but nothing impressive.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember a darn thing, but my 96 year old father in law can recite Robert Burns & Shakespeare too. Makes me feel pitiful.
ReplyDeleteStopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
ReplyDeleteBy Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
----this one resonated with my 8th grade self. I had to recite it in front of the class and have never forgotten a word of it.
You know what - I have a problem - I remember a line or two from everything I learned - but I can't remember a whole poem! lol
ReplyDeleteI'll have to think about this one!
ReplyDeleteMostly songs and very old t.v. shows from when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteA theme song to a kids show went something like this:
Red and yellow and pink and green. Purple and orange and blue.
I can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow too.
Father Nature's Corner
i seem to no longer have remembrance of full poems, but can still remember pieces of the hollow men by TS Elliot and The charge of the light brigade but Tnnyson
ReplyDeleteI've loved reading the replies to this post. Like lots of others I can remember snippets of lots of poems. One I learned in fourth grade has always stuck with me
ReplyDeleteOnce there was an elephant
Who tried to use a telephant.
Oh no I mean an elephone
Who dried to use a telephone.
Dear me I am no certain quite
That even now I have it right.
How'ere it was he got his trunk
Entangled in the Telefunk
The more he tried to get it free
The louder buzzed the telefee.
I fear I better drop this song
Of elephunk and telefong.
Bonnie (BIZ)
ReplyDeleteAnd do they look at you funny when you say that?
LL Cool Joe
Now that put a tear in my eye.
Lisa
My daddy knew a lot of poems that had to do with getting us out of bed. We didn't care much for those either.
Elephant's Child
Never have heard that one and love it!
Munir
I loved to tease my grands with verses when they were little. My Ryan would not kiss me hello so I can still see him standing shyly at the front door while I recited, "Kissing spreads germs it has been stated, so kiss me Ryan, I'm vaccinated." and I would grab him and kiss him. I wonder if he has forgiven me yet.
Arkansas Patti
Oh yes, also a favorite of mine.
Olga Hebert
I certainly hope Mother Goose never goes away.
kenju
Snippets make up many smiles.
Kerry
I have a small collection of Shakespeare but a huge collection of Robert Burns.
Lynn
Robert Frost is my guy.
Chatty Crone
While you are not able to do anything real strenuous try memorizing a poem:)
Lee
Somehow I'm pretty sure you know some rhymes but maybe they just can't be repeated:)
G.B. Miller
That's a pretty rainbow.
Brite Mist
I won an award for poetry interpretation in highschool for the poem PATTERNS. Can barely remember the first line now. "I walk down the patterned garden paths in my stiff brocade gown....
Pat MacKenzie
It was worth doing the post just to learn this poem. Love it!
What is the cremation of Sam McGee? That sounds creepy.
ReplyDeleteI had to memorize some poems for a fourth grade project. Unfortunately I can still remember them...I don't think it would be very entertaining!
I tend to vary the song, anecdote, homily, story according to how I'm feeling. A pal once told me I was a great one for homilies:)
ReplyDeleteWith my guitar I sing "Puff the Magic Dragon", "Laura n Tommy", Teen-ager In Love," an "Automoble (Beep-do-Eep)" tune, scary "Ricketty Ticketty Tin", "Donna Donna", Folk Tunes), n more- but those are the kids faves.
ReplyDelete