Who Has Seen the Wind? Lyrics
Nobody has ever seen the wind, but everyone can see what it does to leaves and trees, and that is the whole puzzle of this short poem.
Who Has Seen the Wind?
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling
The wind is passing thro'.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads
The wind is passing by.
More verses from the original
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling
The wind is passing thro'.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads
The wind is passing by.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/who-has-seen-the-wind/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Written by
- Christina Rossetti
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| But when the leaves hang trembling | Wiggle your fingers softly in the air. |
| But when the trees bow down their heads | Bend forward at the waist, arms hanging down. |
What Does Who Has Seen the Wind? Mean?
The poem asks a question that sounds simple: who has seen the wind? The answer is that no one has. Wind has no color or shape, so we only know it is there when something moves. In the first verse the leaves tremble, and in the second the trees bow their heads. The writer says that these are signs the wind is "passing through" and "passing by".
It is a good rhyme for talking about things we cannot see but can still notice, such as sound, smell and temperature. You can use it with children on a blowy day by going outside and watching what moves.
History and Origin
This is by Christina Rossetti (1830 to 1894), an English poet, and it appears in her book Sing-Song: A Nursery Rhyme Book, first published in 1872. The edition used here is the one printed in 1893. Sing-Song was written for young children, with short lines that are easy to remember and say aloud.
Many families met it first as a read-aloud rhyme, and it has stayed in school poetry collections ever since. Because it has a named author, it is not a folk rhyme, but it has been passed on by parents and teachers in much the same way.
Learning Activities
- Wind walk: go outside and list everything the wind moves, such as leaves, hair, flags and washing.
- Make a streamer: tape a ribbon to a stick and hold it up to see the wind.
- Draw the invisible: draw the wind without drawing the wind itself, only what it does.