The Village Green

    Whether it's a cot mobile, a musical bear, or musical toy giraffe, young children are lulled to sleep with tunes that have done so for hundreds of years. One such song is, Twinkle, twinkle, little star, the words of this song were written by English poet and author, Jane Taylor and I am today featuring one of her poems today in my classic poetry post.

    The words of the featured poem truly evoke a picture in the mind's eye and I believe that you can nearly hear the noise of the playful children too.

THE VILLAGE GREEN

ON the cheerful village green
  Skirted round with houses small
All the boys and girls are seen
  Playing there with hoop and ball

Now they frolic hand in hand
  Making many a merry chain
Then they form a warlike band
  Marching over the level plain

Now ascends the worsted ball
  High it rises in the air
Or, against the cottage wall
  Up and down it bounces there

Then the hoop, with even pace
  Runs before the merry throngs
Joy is seen in every face
  Joy is heard in cheerful songs

 Rich array, and mansions proud
  Gilded toys, and costly fare
Would not make the little crowd
  Half so happy as they are

Then, contented with my state
  Where true pleasure may be seen
Let me envy not the great
  On a cheerful village green

Jane Taylor (1783-1824)