Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Poetry I Like: Now We Are Six: A.A. Milne


Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne, decorations by Ernest H. Shepard, Dutton Children's Books, New York, 1927.
A.A. Milne has an incredible talent to entertain children.  He is the author of Winnie the Pooh.  These are poems as if they were written by Cristopher Robbin between ages three and six.  A couple of my favorites are:
Busy
I think I am a Muffin Man, I haven't got a bell,
I haven't got the muffin things that muffin people sell.
Perhaps I am a Postman.  No I think I am a Tram.
I feeling rather funny, I I don't know what I am--
BUT
Round about
and round about
and round about I go--
All around the table,
The table in the nursery--
Round about
and round about
and round about I go.

Swing Song
Here I go up in my swing
Ever so high.
I am the King of the fields, and the King
Of the town.
I am the King of the earth, and the King
Of the sky.
Here I go up in my swing. . .
Here I go down.

The End

When I was One,
I had just begun.

When I was Two,
I was nearly new.

When I was Three,
I was hardly me.

When I was Four,
I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six for ever and ever.

I really enjoy this collection of poems, because of the facility Milne has to paint a picture outside the box.  He encourages imagination and exploration.

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