An old children’s rhyme

Every name is called a NOUN,
As field and fountain, street and town;
In place of noun the PRONOUN stands,
As he and she can clap their hands;
The ADJECTIVE describes a thing,
As magic wand and bridal ring;
The VERB means action, something done -
To read and write, to jump and run;
How things are done, the ADVERBS tell,
As quickly, slowly, badly, well;
The PREPOSITION shows relation,
As in the street, or at the station;
CONJUNCTIONS join, in many ways,
Sentences, words, or phrase and phrase;
The INTERJECTION cries out, ‘Hark!
I need an exclamation mark!

Through Poetry, we learn how each
of these make up THE PARTS OF SPEECH.

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  1. anne

    Fantastic. I’m going to chant this and annoy everyone I know.

    Do you know “Know More Miss Steaks”, a spelling/grammar variant on this theme?

    jb says: No, I don’t know the Miss Steaks one. Are you going to tell us?

  2. HijabMan

    Man, where was this when I was learning grammar?! haha.

    jb says: It’s been around for a long time, but all our teachers didn’t know it.

  3. Brian Hadd

    The parts of speech I wish I knew
    like cattle makes the grasses grow.
    Dear me I feel I’ve lost my sense!
    Thanks John for any compliments.

  4. anne

    You got it!

    Often called “An Owed to the Spelling Checker”

    I have a spelling checker.
    It came with my pea, see.
    It plane lee marks four my revue
    Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

    Eye ran this poem threw it,
    Your sure reel glad two no.
    Its vary polished in it’s weigh,
    My checker tolled me sew.

    A checker is a bless sing,
    It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
    It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
    And aides me when aye rime.

    Each frays come posed up on my screen
    Eye trussed to bee a joule
    The checker poured o’er every word
    To cheque sum spelling rule.

    Bee four a veiling checkers
    Hour spelling mite decline,
    And if were lacks or have a laps,
    We wood be maid to wine.

    Butt now bee cause my spelling
    Is checked with such grate flare,
    Their are know faults with in my cite,
    Of none eye am a wear.

    Now spelling does knot phase me,
    It does knot bring a tier.
    My pay purrs awl due glad den
    With wrapped words fare as hear.

    To rite with care is quite a feet
    Of witch won should be proud.
    And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
    Sew flaws are knot aloud.

    Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
    Such soft ware for pea seas,
    And why I brake in two averse
    By righting wants too peas.

    jb says: Wonderful, Anne. Where does this come from?

  5. anne

    I’m glad you like it - I thought you would. I have no idea where it originates, though. I was shown it years ago by someone who wanted to point out that proofreading is still necessary even in the computer spell-check world. It makes the point so well.

    jb says: I like my spell-checker, but I no it lets me down when I’m knot looking.

  6. bloglily

    Hark!/I need an exclamation mark — that just made my top ten favorite lines of poetry, along with “there are too many waterfalls here” (the wonderful Elizabeth Bishop).

    xo! BL

    jb says: Hi Bloglily, it’s great to be adding to such an eclectic collection.
    There are too many waterfalls here; the crowded streams
    hurry too rapidly down to the sea,
    and the pressure of so many clouds on the mountaintops
    makes them spill over the sides in soft slow-motion,
    turning to waterfalls under our very eyes.

  7. sue burgess

    I learned the every name is called a noun poem at school 35 years ago and could still remember most of it. Thank you for filling in the gaps!

    jb says: Memories, eh, Sue.

  8. Ham

    Haha, im 15 and were learning this poem at school for exams!

    jb says: Synchronicity, Ham?

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