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A nursery rhyme is a traditional, frequently anonymous, song or poem for children. Many tell a story in just a few short lines, made memorable by their clever patterns of sound and rhythm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A lot of our best-known nursery rhymes are centuries old, and originated as part of an oral tradition, handed down from generation to generation. However, they only really began to be published in the 18th century, when children\u2019s literature blossomed as a genre in its own right.<\/p>\n While some nursery rhymes are designed purely to entertain, others give a moral or educational lesson. Many are intended to help children learn the alphabet and numbers, and support very young children in learning how to speak. Some are ostensibly for children, but have been scrutinised for coded, at times sinister, references to historical events and personalities. As such, they make a useful document of the times in which they were created.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> It\u2019s hard to know which is oldest nursery rhyme of all, but a French poem numbering the days of the month, similar to \u2018Thirty days hath September,\u2019 was recorded as early as the 13th century. Other early examples include \u2018Humpty Dumpty<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 and \u2018Ding Dong Bell\u2019, the latter recorded in 1580 by John Lange, the organist of Winchester Cathedral.<\/p>\n The first significant book of nursery rhymes was called Tommy Thumb\u2019s Song<\/i>, published in London in 1744.<\/p>\n Not necessarily. Relative late-comers such as \u2018Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 (published by Ann and Jane Taylor\u00a0 <\/span>in 1806) and \u2018Mary Had a Little Lamb<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 (published by Sarah Josepha Hale in 1830) are just as well-known.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Along with children\u2019s games and story books, many nursery rhymes have found their way into pieces of classical music. Here are just a few examples:<\/p>\nHow did nursery rhymes originate?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Are they meant to be funny?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n
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What is the oldest nursery rhyme of all?<\/b><\/h3>\n
And the first published book of nursery rhymes?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Are the oldest nursery rhymes the most famous?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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How have composers used nursery rhymes used in classical music?<\/b><\/h2>\n
\u00a0 Gustav Mahler\u2019s Symphony No 1<\/h3>\n