The Village Green

On the cheerful village green,

Skirted round with houses small,

All the boys and girls are seen,

Playing there with hoop and ball.

Now they frolic hand in hand,

Making many a merry chain;

Then they form a warlike band,

Marching o'er the level plain.

Now ascends the worsted ball,

High it rises in the air,

Or against the cottage wall,

Up and down it bounces there.

Then the hoop, with even pace,

Runs before the merry throngs;

Joy is seen in every face,

Joy is heard in cheerful songs.

Rich array, and mansions proud,

Gilded toys, and costly fare,

Would not make the little crowd

Half so happy as they are.

Then, contented with my state,

Where true pleasure may be seen,

Let me envy not the great,

On a cheerful village green.

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.

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