Oh, Fair to See Lyrics
One cherry tree is shown twice: in April, loaded with white blossom, and later, loaded with shining red fruit. Each verse begins and ends with the same cry, Oh, fair to see.
Oh, Fair to See
Oh, fair to see
Bloom-laden cherry tree,
Arrayed in sunny white;
An April day's delight,
Oh, fair to see!
Oh, fair to see
Fruit-laden cherry tree,
With balls of shining red
Decking a leafy head,
Oh, fair to see!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/oh-fair-to-see/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Christina Rossetti
- Tune
- Open and admiring, a long breath on each 'fair to see'
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Oh, fair to see | Open both hands wide, like a blossom opening. |
| With balls of shining red | Make small circles with your finger and thumb, as if holding cherries. |
What Does Oh, Fair to See Mean?
The poem has two pictures of the same tree. In the first, the cherry tree is bloom-laden, loaded down with blossom, and arrayed, or dressed, in sunny white. The poem calls it an April day's delight. In the second the same tree is fruit-laden, decked, or decorated, with balls of shining red, which are ripe cherries on a leafy head.
Blossom comes first and fruit follows, because a cherry tree flowers in spring and the flowers turn into the fruit. The refrain Oh, fair to see opens and closes each verse, four times in all, so the poem feels like a frame around the picture. Pairs such as tree with see, white with delight and red with head chime in the way a child expects.
History and Origin
This short poem is from Christina Rossetti's Sing-Song, issued in 1872, a nursery rhyme book. It does not tell a story or teach a lesson. It simply looks at the tree twice, which makes it a good poem to read in spring and again when the fruit comes.
Learning Activities
- One tree, two seasons: draw a cherry tree in white blossom, then the same tree with red fruit, and put the two pictures side by side.
- Watch a tree: pick a tree near home and look at it once a month, noting each change.
- Cherry count: count real or paper cherries into a bowl and read the second verse.
- Refrain voices: one person reads the middle lines, and everyone joins on 'Oh, fair to see'.