Contents Infant Joy William Blake The Baby’s Dance Ann Taylor Things like Ourselves Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher Child Crying Anthony Thwaite Characteristics of a Child Three Years Old William Wordsworth On a Child Beginning to Talk Thomas Bastard Four Years Old – A Nursery Song Leigh Hunt On Children Frances Cornford Child and Mother William Cowper A Child Ill John Betjeman Frost at Midnight Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Barefoot Boy John Greenleaf Whittier Catrin Gillian Clarke The Land of Counterpane Robert Louis Stevenson I Remember, I Remember Thomas Hood Infant Sorrow William Blake Children, Children John Wain A Cradle Song William Blake Children’s Song R.S. Thomas in Just— e.e. Cummings The Child on the Cliffs Edward Thomas Seven Yere of Age Anonymous At the Sea-side Robert Louis Stevenson The Poet at ten years old William Wordsworth A Child said, What is the grass? Walt Whitman
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At the Zoo William Makepeace Thackeray Fairground W.H. Auden Ballroom Dancing Class Phyllis McGinley Of the Boy and his Top John Hookham Frere There Was a Child Went Forth Walt Whitman The Children’s Hour Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dirty Jim Jane Taylor My Parents Kept Me from Children who were Rough Stephen Spender In my Two Small Fists Adrian Mitchell My Lost Youth Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The Schoolboy William Blake A Medieval Schoolboy’s Complaint Anonymous from: On a Distant Prospect of Eton College Thomas Gray A Fight at School Alexander Smith from: Upon the Disobedient Child John Bunyan At School Alexander Smith There Was a Boy William Wordsworth American Boy Randall Jarrell Floreat Etona Winthrop Mackworth Praed
51 52 55 58 62
67 68 70 76 80 82 85 87 88 89 90 93
Index to Poets Picture Credits Acknowledgements
95 96 96
63 66
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Infant Joy ‘I have no name; I am but two days old.’ What shall I call thee? ‘I happy am, Joy is my name.’ Sweet joy befall thee! Pretty joy! Sweet joy, but two days old. Sweet Joy I call thee: Thou dost smile, I sing the while; Sweet joy befall thee!
William Blake (1757–1827)
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The Baby’s Dance Dance, little baby, dance up high, Never mind baby, mother is by; Crow and caper, caper and crow, There little baby, there you go: Up to the ceiling, down to the ground, Backwards and forwards, round and round. Then dance, little baby, and mother shall sing, With the merry gay coral, ding, ding, a-ding, ding.
Ann Taylor (1782–1866)
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Catrin (I)
I can remember you, child, As I stood in a hot, white Room at the window watching The people and cars taking Turn at the traffic lights. I can remember you, our first Fierce confrontation, the tight Red rope of love which we both Fought over. It was a square Environmental blank, disinfected Of paintings or toys. I wrote All over the walls with my Words, coloured the clean squares With the wild, tender circles Of our struggle to become Separate. We want, we shouted, To be two, to be ourselves.
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(II)
Neither won nor lost the struggle In the glass tank clouded with feelings Which changed us both. Still I am fighting You off, as you stand there With your straight, strong, long Brown hair and your rosy, Defiant glare, bringing up From the heart’s pool that old rope, Tightening about my life, Trailing love and conflict, As you ask may you skate In the dark, for one more hour.
Gillian Clarke (1937– )
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in Just– in Just— spring when the world is mud— luscious the little lame baloonman whistles far and wee and eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies and it’s spring when the world is puddle-wonderful the queer old baloonman whistles far and wee and bettyandisbel come dancing from hop-scotch and jump-rope and it’s spring and the
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goat-footed baloonMan whistles far and wee
e.e. cummings (1894–1962)
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At the Zoo First I saw the white bear, then I saw the black; Then I saw the camel with a hump upon his back; Then I saw the grey wolf, with mutton in his maw; Then I saw the wombat waddle in the straw; Then I saw the elephant a-waving of his trunk; Then I saw the monkeys—mercy, how unpleasantly they smelt!
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863)
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Dirty Jim There was one little Jim ’Tis reported of him, And must be, to his lasting disgrace, That he never was seen With his hands at all clean Nor yet ever clean with his face. His friends were much hurt To see so much dirt, And often they made him quite clean; But all as in vain, He was dirty again, And not at all fit to be seen. When to wash he was sent, He reluctantly went, With water to splash himself o’er. But he seldom was seen To have wash’d himself clean, And often looked worse than before. The idle and bad, Like this little lad, May be dirty and black, to be sure; But good boys are seen, To be decent and clean, Altho’ they are ever so poor.
Jane Taylor (I783–1824) 66
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My Parents Kept Me from Children who were Rough My parents kept me from children who were rough Who threw words like stones and who wore torn clothes. Their thighs showed through rags. They ran in the street And climbed cliffs and stripped by the country streams. I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron Their jerking hands and their knees tight on my arms. I feared the salt coarse pointing of those boys Who copied my lisp behind me on the road. They were lithe, they sprang out behind hedges Like dogs to bark at my world. They threw mud While I looked the other way, pretending to smile. I longed to forgive them, but they never smiled.
Stephen Spender (1909–1995)
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FAVOURITE POEMS TO CELEBRATE
Also available in this series:
Secret joys and secret smiles Little pretty infant wiles.
Favourite Poems of England Jane McMorland Hunter 9781849944595
A collection of the best poetry about children and childhood
Favourite Poems of the Countryside Samuel Carr 9781849942928
Featuring much-loved poets such as Wordsworth, Betjeman, Blake and e.e. cummings Richly illustrated throughout with evocative, retro prints from yesteryear This is a celebration of children, of childhood, and, in many ways, of being a parent. The collection covers some of the best poetry ever written about the charms and beauty of children, as well as the magical time of childhood. The poems range from the humour of childish talk and wonderment and the formation of childhood memories through to the profound love that a child can bring. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is the perfect book for anyone with the joy of a child in their life.
BABIES & CHILDREN
Favourite Poems of the Sea Howard Watson 9781909881495
William Blake
FAVOURITE POEMS TO CELEBRATE
Favourite Poems of London Jane McMorland Hunter 9781849944830
BABIES & CHILDREN
Favourite Poems to Celebrate Babies & Children is an anthology of poetry celebrating children and childhood – from the magical times and memories of childhood, through to the unconditional love a parent has for a child. The poems begin in infanthood, with the joys that babies and toddlers bring as they learn to move and speak, and moves on to playtime, friendships, holidays, trips and school days. Some of our best-loved poets are featured, such as William Blake, John Betjeman, Robert Louis Stevenson, Adrian Mitchell and WH Auden. The wonderful, endearing illustrations make this the ideal book for anyone who cherishes that brief moment between birth and the start of adult life.
POETRY
UK ÂŁ7.99 US $9.95 Can $13.50
www.pavilionbooks.com
EDITED BY
LUCY GRAY
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