There Was an Old Man of Dunluce Lyrics
The old man of Dunluce goes out to sea on a goose. When he has gone a mile, he notices with a smile that it is time to return.
There Was an Old Man of Dunluce
There was an old man of Dunluce,
Who went out to sea on a goose:
When he'd gone out a mile, he observ'd with a smile,
"It is time to return to Dunluce."
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/there-was-an-old-man-of-dunluce/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Edward Lear
- Tune
- Calm and bobbing, with a smile in the last line
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Who went out to sea on a goose: | Sit on the floor and sway like a boat, flapping your arms like wings. |
| With a smile, | Beam and tip an imaginary hat. |
What Does There Was an Old Man of Dunluce Mean?
The picture is the joke: a man riding a goose across the sea. He is not worried. After a mile he observ'd with a smile that it is time to go home, like someone who has finished a short walk. The tone is calm and the plan is sensible except for the goose. Observ'd is the older printing of observed, which means noticed.
The four lines carry the rhymes. Goose and Dunluce rhyme, and mile and smile rhyme. In this printing the third line is long and has a rhyme inside it. Dunluce is the name of a place.
History and Origin
Lear signed his opening note in More Nonsense from Villa Emily, San Remo, in August 1871, and called the book the third of its kind.
Learning Activities
- Goose boat: draw a goose with a rider and a wavy sea, and add a mile marker.
- Turn back: take a short walk and say 'it is time to return' at the halfway point.
- Rhyme pairs: match goose with Dunluce and mile with smile.
- Why a goose?: ask the child what other animal the old man could ride.