Finery

In an elegant frock, trimm'd with beautiful lace,

And hair nicely curl'd, hanging over her face,

Young Fanny went out to the house of a friend,

With a large little party the evening to spend.

"Ah! how they will all be delighted, I guess,

And stare with surprise at my handsome new dress!"

Thus said the vain girl, and her little heart beat,

Impatient the happy young party to meet.

But, alas! they were all too intent on their play

To observe the fine clothes of this lady so gay,

And thus all her trouble quite lost its design;

For they saw she was proud, but forgot she was fine.

'Twas Lucy, though only in simple white clad,

(Nor trimmings, nor laces, nor jewels, she had,)

Whose cheerful good-nature delighted them more

Than Fanny and all the fine garments she wore.

'Tis better to have a sweet smile on one's face,

Than to wear a fine frock with an elegant lace,

For the good-natured girl is loved best in the main,

If her dress is but decent, though ever so plain.

Jane Tylor

Imagine setting a simple challenge to almost anyone in the English speaking world regarding fondly remembered poems and songs from their childhood. Ask them to recite the opening lines of the first poem or song that comes to mind and there is a good chance that the majority would say: “Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are”. It’s one of those little ditties that has been popular worldwide since the 19th century but it is very likely that most would not be able to state who wrote it. Well, the answer is that the English poet and novelist Jane Taylor wrote those famous words. Her poem was set to music, using an old French tune, and the legend was born! Jane was born in September 1783, in London, but she spent her early years living in the small Suffolk town of Lavenham. She had an older sister called Ann, and the pair loved to write poetry and stories together. Their parents gave the girls plenty of encouragement to write and their mother was, herself, responsible for the publication of seven books giving religious and moral advice. Their father was a dissenting minister and engraver.

More poems from same author

My Mother Finery Sleepy Harry The Good Natured Girls My Mother

Finery

More poems from same author

Unlock the Power of Language & AI

Lughaat

Spell Checker

OCR