How many times have repeated the Nursery Rhymes in our life. During our school time, out of fun in College and now teaching our kids the same thing. However once I was very much impressed by an article on nursery rhymes and also discussed the same with my family and friends.
The article proved how the nursery rhymes are full of pain and negativity.
Lets start with the most loved rhyme….
Jack and Jill…..jack fell down…broke his crown…and Jill came tumbling after. So by the end of the rhyme we know that both were injured!!!!
Lets take one more of the most recited rhyme….
Humpty Dumpty…..It had a great fall….all the kings horses and all the kings men…could not put him together again……Tragedy again.
The list continues…
Rock a by baby….when the bough breaks…the cradle will fall…down comes the baby …..cradle and all!!!!!!! Now if that isnt a tragedy with the baby falling down then what is?
One more…..London Bridge is falling down….
Why do all have to fall down in Ringa Ringa roses??
Itsy Bitsy spider washed down the drain….
Take the rhyme…Sing a song of six pence…..where four and twenty black birds are baked in the pie!!!!!!
Baa baa black sheep…..one third of the wool goes to the master…one third goes to the Dame(Dame again means an higher authority) thus two thirds have gone to the rich…while only one third is left for the little boy(Common Man?)….doesnt this compare with the taxes we pay from our hard work!!!!!
I can go on over here…but what i cant understand is that such dark rhymes are acceptable in schools all over the world !!
Were we being prepared mentally for the challenges of life and are we preparing our children also in the same way?
I am not sure why these are, and yes, I too have wondered at times.. And the worst thing is, we remember them even after 25 years.. Are we negative because of that?
ReplyDeleteNot sure when these would have been written, however these could be in the dark days, when things were difficult. The only positive that you see on these rhymes is that the pictures are not always that gloomy.
The illustrations are way after the poems. I feel the true reason or meaning of the poems has been lost over the ages. Like you said the dark ages.
ReplyDeleteOne person has also gone to the extent of saying that even Twinkle Twinkle is dark. He says the line "When the blazing sun is gone, When it nothing shines upon" is a hidden message of times....
To each his own interpretation i guess...
I am getting more suggestion of poems being bad....so adding more to the list...
ReplyDeleteThree Blind Mice{Mice are blind:(}....The farmers wife cuts of their tails!!!! and then the last line asks us if we have ever seen such a scene....
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do.
She gave them some broth,
Without any bread,
Whipped them all soundly, and sent them to bed.
Wow now that is certainly bad...to undernourish the kids....and also whip them!!!!
Its raining its pouring...the old man is snoring....he went to bed bumped his head and didnt get up in the morning.....Teaching death to the children????
And this is probably the worst I have every come across:
Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon;
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in half and then there were six.
Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Indian boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little Indian boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two Little Indian boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was one.
One little Indian boy left all alone;
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none