Nursery Rhyme

Frank Wilmot 1881 (Collingwood) – 1942



One year, two year, three year, four,
Comes a khaki gentleman knocking at the door.
'Any little boys at home, send them out to me
To train them and brain them in battles yet to be.'

When a little boy is born feed him, train him so.
Put him in a cattle pen and wait for him to grow.
When he's nice and plump and dear, and sensible and sweet,
Throw him in the trenches for the great grey rats to eat.
Toss him in the cannon's mouth, cannons fancy best
Tender little boys' flesh that's easy to digest.

Mother rears her family on two pounds ten a week.
Teaches them to wash themselves, teaches them to speak.
Rears them with a heart's love, rears them to be men.
Grinds her fingers to the bone, and then... what then?

But parents who must rear the boys the cannons love to slay,
Also pay for cannons that blow other boys away.
Parsons tell them that their sons have just been blown to bits.
Patriotic parents must all laugh like fits.

Rear the boys for honest men and send them out to die!
Where's the coward father who would dare raise a cry?
Any gentleman's aware folk rear their children for
Blunderers and plunderers to mangle in a war!

Five year, six year, seven year, eight.
'Hurry up you little chaps, the captain's at the gate!'

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 07, 2023

1:12 min read
50

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CCDDEE FFGG HHII JJAA KK
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,217
Words 238
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 6, 4, 4, 4, 2

Frank Wilmot

Frank Leslie Thomson Wilmot, who published his work under the pseudonym Furnley Maurice, was a noted Australian poet, best known for To God: From the Warring Nations. more…

All Frank Wilmot poems | Frank Wilmot Books

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