The Buckle Lyrics
A child lists four small treasures, each starting with the words I had: a silver buckle sewn on a shoe, a bunch of cowslips hidden for the elves, a yellow ribbon, and a secret laugh that only the ivy and the wind may tell.
The Buckle
I had a silver buckle,
I sewed it on my shoe,
And 'neath a sprig of mistletoe
I danced the evening through!
I had a bunch of cowslips,
I hid 'em in a grot,
In case the elves should come by night
And me remember not.
I had a yellow riband,
I tied it in my hair,
That, walking in the garden,
The birds might see it there.
I had a secret laughter,
I laughed it near the wall:
Only the ivy and the wind
May tell of it at all.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-buckle/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Walter de la Mare
- Tune
- Dreamy and a little secretive, with the last verse almost whispered
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| I sewed it on my shoe, | Pretend to sew with a long needle and thread, pulling it up high each time. |
| I tied it in my hair, | Lift your hands to your head and tie an imaginary bow. |
What Does The Buckle Mean?
Every verse starts with the same two words, I had, and every verse is a small treasure. A buckle is a metal clasp, and a silver one has been sewn on a shoe for dancing. Cowslips are yellow spring wildflowers, and the speaker has hidden a bunch of them in a grot, a short form of grotto, which is a little cave. The reason is in the next two lines: in case the elves come by night. A riband is an old spelling of ribbon, and this one is yellow and tied in the hair so that the birds might see it.
The last treasure is not an object at all. It is a secret laughter, laughed near a wall, and only the ivy and the wind may tell of it. Each verse has its own rhymes, shoe with through, grot with not, hair with there and wall with all, so the poem sounds like four small songs.
History and Origin
Walter de la Mare's Songs of Childhood is the book this poem comes from. The book came out in 1902, published by Longmans, Green in London and New York.
Learning Activities
- My four treasures: ask the child to say four small treasures of their own, starting each with the words I had.
- Yellow ribbon: tie a ribbon in the hair or around a wrist and take a walk to see which birds notice it.
- Secret laugh: whisper a joke to the child, and agree that only the wind may hear it.
- Fairy gift: in a safe garden spot, set out a little posy of flowers for the elves to find.