The Hart He Loves the High Wood Lyrics
A deer loves the forest, a hare loves the hillside, a knight loves his sword and a lady loves to have her own way. Four lines, four favorite things.
The Hart He Loves the High Wood
The hart he loves the high wood,
The hare she loves the hill;
The Knight he loves his bright sword,
The Lady loves her will.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-hart-he-loves-the-high-wood/
- Type
- Mother Goose, Animal Rhymes
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does The Hart He Loves the High Wood Mean?
A hart is a male red deer, which lives in the woods. The hare, a long-eared cousin of the rabbit, loves open hills. The knight treasures his bright sword, and the lady loves "her will", meaning getting her own way. Each line pairs someone with the thing that suits them best.
History and Origin
The rhyme is printed in The Real Mother Goose (1916), and its old words, hart and knight, suggest a much older origin. Its neat pattern, one line for each, makes it a good model for children writing their own "what everyone loves" verses.
Learning Activities
- Family version: write a line for each family member: "The baby loves her blanket".
- Deer or hare: look at pictures of a hart and a hare and spot the differences.
- Old words: learn hart, hare and knight.