Elin & the Lullaby Orchestra have released songs with lyrics from "A Child's Garden of Verses" By Robert Louis Stevenson"A Child's Garden of Verses" is a collection of poetry for children by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. The collection was first published in 1885 and includes more than 60 poems that explore a wide range of themes and emotions, from the joys of childhood and the beauty of nature to the sadness of growing up and the mysteries of the night. Many of the poems are set in Stevenson's native Scotland and feature vivid descriptions of the landscapes and seascapes that he loved.
"Bed in Summer" is a poem that conveys the speaker's feelings of frustration and longing to be able to play outside on a beautiful summer day instead of being forced to go to bed. The contrast between the speaker's routine in the winter and the summer emphasizes this frustration. The poem is a good example of Stevenson's ability to capture and convey the emotions and perspective of a child in his writing. "The Swing" The poem is a playful and joyful celebration of the simple pleasures of childhood, specifically the experience of going up in a swing. The speaker of the poem expresses their excitement and delight at the feeling of being lifted up into the air and the beauty of the blue sky above. The imagery of the blue sky, combined with the repetition of the phrase "up in the air so blue," creates a sense of freedom and weightlessness, which evokes feelings of happiness and carefree innocence. The poem uses simple language, rhyme, and repetition, which makes it easy for children to understand and enjoy. It's a beautiful simple Poem which remind us the innocent days of childhood and how we used to be amazed by the simplest things in life. "Foreign Lands" The poem is written from the perspective of a child climbing a cherry tree and looking out at the world, imagining all the foreign lands that they might explore in the future. The poem expresses a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world, and the desire to experience new and different things. The poem might be interpreted as the author's self reflection on childhood and longing of the unknown. It is also a reminder that world has so much to explore and see, and a reminder of our dreams and aspirations |
My Shadow
The speaker of the poem describes their shadow as an inseparable companion that goes everywhere with them, but is not entirely sure what purpose it serves. The speaker notes that the shadow is very similar in appearance to them and that it can change size and shape in strange and unexpected ways. The speaker also observes that the shadow does not seem to know how to play or behave like a proper child. The poem ends with a humorous image of the speaker's shadow being lazy and sleeping in while the speaker wakes up early to enjoy the morning dew. This can be interpreted as the shadow being the lazy and unfocussed part of the speaker himself. Overall, the poem can be a reflection on the nature of self and the duality of our existence, the shadow representing the subconscious, the unknown part of ourselves. It also touches on the theme of exploration and discovery, with the speaker suggesting that there may be more to the shadow than meets the eye. "A Good Boy"
The poem describes the joy and contentment of a child who has behaved well throughout the day and is now looking forward to a peaceful night's sleep. The imagery of nature in the last lines creates a sense of tranquility and the child's confident of dreaming of good things due to his good behavior that day. The poem is simple and childlike, fitting with the persona of a child speaking from his own perspective, showing the pureness of childhood and its simple pleasures . The poem may be interpreted as a reminder of the value of good behavior and the rewards that come from it, both in terms of peacefulness and happiness. |
"The Moon"
The poem describes the moon as having a face like a clock, shining on different elements in the world, including thieves, gardens, streets, and even birds asleep in trees. The poem also notes that animals such as cats, mice, dogs, and bats are active and awake at night, while flowers and children close their eyes to sleep during the night. It is written in simple and childlike language, with imagery that creates a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world. The moon is used as a symbol of the passage of time and the contrast of the activity of nature at night compared to the stillness of day, with the last lines suggesting that even the natural world follows the cycle of day and night, where the moon and stars shine at night while the sun takes over during the day.
The poem describes the moon as having a face like a clock, shining on different elements in the world, including thieves, gardens, streets, and even birds asleep in trees. The poem also notes that animals such as cats, mice, dogs, and bats are active and awake at night, while flowers and children close their eyes to sleep during the night. It is written in simple and childlike language, with imagery that creates a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world. The moon is used as a symbol of the passage of time and the contrast of the activity of nature at night compared to the stillness of day, with the last lines suggesting that even the natural world follows the cycle of day and night, where the moon and stars shine at night while the sun takes over during the day.
Download free sheets to all the songs on the album:
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Children Songs - Old Poems with New Melodies1 Bed in Summer
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Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer. He was born in Edinburgh on November 13, 1850, and died in Samoa on December 3, 1894. He is best known for his novels "Treasure Island" and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."
Stevenson's father was a prosperous civil engineer, and his mother came from a family of lighthouse engineers, so Stevenson grew up in an atmosphere of practical science and engineering. Despite this background, he had a lifelong interest in the arts, particularly literature and painting. As a young man, Stevenson studied engineering and law, but he never practiced either profession. Instead, he decided to become a writer, and he began publishing poetry and essays in various literary magazines. He first gained fame as a travel writer with his book "An Inland Voyage" (1878), which describes a canoe trip he took through France and Belgium, and "Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes" (1879), an account of a walking tour he took in the mountains of central France. Stevenson's first novel, "Treasure Island," was published in 1883 and quickly became a bestseller. The book tells the story of a group of sailors and their quest for a buried treasure, and it is considered a classic of children's literature. His later novels include: "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1886), a story of a man who transforms into a monstrous version of himself, is considered to be one of the greatest works of horror fiction ever written, and still is a best seller. "Kidnapped" (1886) a historical fiction adventure novel, tells the story of a young man named David Balfour who is betrayed and kidnapped by his uncle, and "The Master of Ballantrae" (1889), a story of a family feud set in Scotland in the 18th century. In 1890, Stevenson and his family moved to Samoa, where he died of a cerebral hemorrhage four years later. Despite his relatively short life, Stevenson's works have had a lasting impact on literature and continue to be widely read today. He is also known for his vivid descriptions of landscape and people, making a many readers look for the places where his stories were set. He is a classical figure of the genre of Adventure fiction and Mystery fiction as well. |
Bed In Summer
(Robert Louis Stevenson) In Winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle light. In Summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day. I have to go to bed and see The birds still hopping on the tree, Or hear the grown-up people's feet Still going past me in the street. And does it not seem hard to you, When all the sky is clear and blue, And I should like so much to play, To have to go to bed by day? |
The Swing
(Robert Louis Stevenson) How do you like to go up in a swing, Up in the air so blue? Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing Ever a child can do! Up in the air and over the wall, Till I can see so wide, River and trees and cattle and all Over the countryside Till I look down on the garden green, Down on the roof so brown-- Up in the air I go flying again, Up in the air and down! |
Foreign Lands
(Robert Louis Stevenson) Up into the cherry tree Who should climb but little me? I held the trunk with both my hands And looked abroad on foreign lands I saw the next-door garden lie, Adored with flowers before my eye, And many secret places more That I have never seen before. I saw a dimpling river pass And be the sky's blue looking-glass; The dusty roads go up and down With people tramping in to town. If I could find a higher tree Farther and farther I should see, To where the grown-up river slips Into a sea among the ships, To where the roads on either hand Lead onward into fairy land, Where all the childen dine at five, And where all the playthings come alive. |
A Good Boy
(Robert Louis Stevenson) I woke before the morning, I was happy all the day, I never said an ugly word, but smiled and stuck to play. And now at last the sun is going down behind the wood, And I am very happy, for I know that I've been good. My bed is waiting cool and fresh, with linen smooth and fair, And I must be off to sleepsin-by, and not forget my prayer. I know that, till to-morrow I shall see the sun arise, No ugly dream shall fright my mind, no ugly sight my eyes. But slumber hold me tightly till I waken in the dawn, And hear the thrushes singing in the lilacs round the lawn. |
My Shadow
(Robert Louis Stevenson) I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed. The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow - Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, And he sometimes goes so little that there's none of him at all. He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. He stays so close behind me, he's a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me! One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed. |
The Moon
(Robert Louis Stevenson) The moon has a face like the clock in the hall; She shines on thieves on the garde n wall, On streets and fields and harbour quays, And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees. The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse, The howling dog by the door of the house, The bat that lies in bed at noon, All love to be out by the light of the moon. But all of the things that belong to the day Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way; And flowers and children close their eyes Till up in the morning the sun shall arise. |