The Greek culture has a long and rich history, especially in literature. There are too many poetry forms that stem from this culture to explore them all, so today we will learn a little bit about Homer and Hesiod, two of Greece’s early poets, and a few of the major Greek poetic forms.

Homer

BRIEF HISTORY

In ancient times, people “would sing the stories of the Trojan War and its Greek heroes; these songs would be the Greek equivalent of a mini-series, for the stories were so long that they would take days to complete. The Greeks believed that the greatest of these story-tellers was a blind man named Homer, and that he sung ten epic poems about the Trojan War, of which only two survived (although the Greeks seem to have known them). As a group these poems told the entire history of the Trojan War; each poem, however, only covered a small part of that history” (Hooker).

Homer is known best for writing the Iliad and the Odyssey. They, as mentioned above, were about the Trojan War. However, “Homer’s authorship and, indeed, even his very existence are established by tradition; nothing is actually known about him” (Matthews and Platt 43). The Iliad and the Odyssey have a special importance because it is where later Greeks looked to for the history of their people, their religion, and for the moral ideals with which to guide how they lived. Homer also wrote some Hymns that have survived to modern times.

Hesiod

BRIEF HISTORY

Like Homer, Hesiod also wrote in epic form. His most famous works were called: Theogony and Works and Days. Also like Homer, his work was a guide for how people should behave. “In ‘Works and Days’ he speaks about justice and hard work, which is the only way to success, and he gives advice about agriculture, commerce, navigation as well as about marriage, bringing-up children and other moral and useful precepts” (Papageorgiou-Haska).

Both Hesiod and Homer are believed to have lived about twenty-eight hundred years ago.

Epic

BRIEF HISTORY

The name epic comes from the word “epos.” This Greek word translates into the phrase “to tell a tale” (Padgett, 65).

MUST HAVES

–Tell a story.

–There is no set length, BUT they are usually very long. So long, in fact, that they are sometimes split up into chapter-like sections that are called cantos (Padgett, 65).

–About a specific account of heroism, and its intent should be to motivate morality in the reader.

–Rhythm is dactylic hexameter: “This means that each line contains six metrical feet of three beats each, the first a long syllable and the second and third short syllables (as in ‘gratitude’ and ‘Oldsmobile’)” (Padgett, 65).

COULD HAVES or What’s The Poet’s Choice In All This?

–Whether or not to rhyme. Historically, these were oral and rhyme helps with memorization, but there is no strict rule to rhyme.

–Choice of hero and his or her specific act of heroism. Pick a hero of long ago or a current one. You don’t even have to name a specific person, but instead a heroic effort that many people perform.

–Rhythm, yes-I already listed that in the “must haves,” but dactylic hexameter is the traditional Greek rhythm. English epics are mainly iambic pentameter. If you choose to use your poetic license here, I would pick a meter and stick with it throughout your poem.

OF NOTE

–Funny epics go by the term “mock epic.”

The Elegy

BRIEF HISTORY

This form dates back to ancient Greece. The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms says, “the word elegy comes from the Greek word elegeia, which means ‘song of mourning'” (Padgett, 62).

This same handbook tells us that in the 7th century B.C., “the first person to write an elegy was probably Mimnermus of Colophon.” At least, his is the first written record found of an elegy. There may be many earlier elegies lost to time or haven’t been discovered yet (Padgett, 62).

The elegy started out, in modern times, as a term for a specific type of couplet but grew into a form based on genre – sorrowful, contemplating and mourning over death in general or over a specific person’s death.

MUST HAVES

–Must be about death or a loss that is like death–unless you choose the Roman change that made them about love (see below).

–If you choose to create a classical elegy you will want to begin with the subject of your elegy, then share your mourning, and finally your acceptance of the death/loss.

COULD HAVES or What’s The Poet’s Choice In All This?

–Any form (or no particular form) just follow the form’s rules if you use one.

–Any rhyme (or no rhyme), unless a form is used, then you follow the rhyme scheme for that form.

–Any meter (or no set meter) unless a form is used, then you follow the meter required for that form.

–Length can be long or short. However, if you use a form, that form might dictate the length.

OF NOTE

The Greeks wrote elegies about death, but later Romans made them about love. This remained relatively unchanged until “England in 1611.” At that time, John Donne brought the elegy about death back into writing fashion. (Padgett, 62).

Lyric & Specifically the Monody

BRIEF HISTORY

Way back in ancient Greece, the lyric had two types: the choral lyric, which was performed by many people, and the monody, which was sung by one person. Since there are very few rules out there for this poetic form, I will create some for you to use as a guide based on its historical use. I will use the Monody, Choral Lyric, and the Tyranny of the Hand-Book article by Davies, and Classics in Translation by Mackendrick and Howe as my historical guides.

MUST HAVES

–Must mourn a death.

–Must be on the short side, but not usually as short as the epitaph and epigram are.

–Must be in the POV of one person, although the lament could be about the loss of many.

COULD HAVES or What’s The Poet’s Choice In All This?

–Any rhyme (or no rhyme), unless a form is used, then you follow the rhyme scheme for that form. Generally things that are sung rhyme and this form was originally sung. Consult your poetic license when you decide how to go for this one.

–Any meter (or no set meter) unless a form is used, then you follow the meter required for that form. This form usually had simple meters, and if one is chosen stick to it throughout.

–Stanza length, choose any, but stick to the same throughout. Example: if you choose an eight-line stanza and want three stanzas, make them all have eight lines.

–Any form (or no particular form) just follow the form’s rules.

OF NOTE

–The Classics in Translation book had an interesting note. They said that this form is “closely associated with the Ionians, [and] is nearer to popular folk poetry” (Mackendrick and Howe, 93).

–Lyric poetry is not a specific form, but more of a category for a poetry form that’s meant to be sung. Modern lyric poetry might not be sung, but it should at least have a musical quality to it. There are almost forty forms that could be considered lyric poetry (Turco, 102).

Source Notes

Davies, M. (1988).Monody, Choral Lyric, and the Tyranny of the Hand-Book. The Classical Quarterly, New Series. Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 52-64.

Hooker, Richard. “Homer.” Bureaucrats & Barbarians: The Greek Dark Ages. 1999. Washington State University. 1 Mar 2009.

Mackendrick, P, & Howe, H (1980). Classics in Translation. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press.

Matthews, Roy T., and F. DeWitt Platt. The Western Humanities. 5th. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004.

Padgett, Ron. The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms. 2nd. NY: T & W Books, 2000.

Papageorgiou-Haska, Roula . “Hesiod.” Cosmogony-Theogony. 05 June 1996. Hellonic Electronic Center. 1 Mar 2009 .

Turco, Lewis. The Book of Forms. 3rd. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 2000.

Williams, Miller (1986). Patterns of Poetry: An Encyclopedia of Forms. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press.

The Happy Wanderer, also known as a the Merry Wanderer started off life as a German song released before 1952, hence its yodelling chorus. Its first appearance in Britain was in an Wales concert. The singers in that concert even went on to sing in America on the infamous Ed Sullivan Show.

Since the topic of the song was wandering through the mountains and countryside it was is an old verse taken up by Scout and Guide troops about someone who sings while wandering through the mountains and countryside with their knapsack on their back. Ironically Baden Powell learnt most of his scouting techniques fighting the Germans in the First World War, but no matter.

It may be sung while moving or may be sung round a campfire. In the former case it is a song for light walking rather than the march of a soldier.

But what has this got to do with nursery rhymes? Well Scouts instead of using the correct words have been known to stick such rhymes in instead, but sticking to the tune of Happy Wanderer, despite the difficulty of singing one with a different tune. Although scouts don’t tend to sing risque songs, this format may lead to singing a more jocular version of the nursery rhyme. Of course not all of them fit, it has to go A A B B – and it needs to fit the scanning, Hickory Dickory Dock for instance doesn’t work.

All this goes to show how nursery rhymes change to fit different formats, in this case the Scouting movement and a German song.

A native of Australia, Margot Finke is a freelance editor and children’s author. She specializes in fun rhyming books for kids, as well as in stories for reluctant readers, especially boys. Her latest picture book is the hilarious Ruthie and the Hippo’s Fat Behind, recently released by Guardian Angel Publishing. She now lives in Oregon, where she continues creating entertaining stories for children.

About the book:

When Ruthie moved, she left all her friends and family behind. She left her old happy self behind too. She sulked, was rude to her parents, and threw tantrums. What had happened to their darling girl? Then, something unexpected surprised Ruthie, and their happy child returned. Find out what made Ruthie her old self again. (Parent-Teacher guide included.)

Q: Thanks for being my guest today, Margot. Tell us, what got you into writing for children?

A: Many years ago, when we first arrived here in Oregon from Australia, my three children were young. I became a grade school Teacher’s Aid.

The kids thought I talked funny, and I told them it was because I was an Aussie from Down-under. They asked about OZ, and so I started telling them about the fantastic variety of unique Aussie critters. I would pin a map of Australian animals on the classroom wall, and make up stories about various ones. I also did this for my children each night, right off the top of my head.

After a while, I found I had to write them down, because the kids asked for story repeats, and I had no idea what I’d said the first time around. My writing grew from that small beginning, into my ” Wild and Wonderful” rhyming series, about animals from the US and Australia, and two other books: “Rattlesnake Jam” ( for boys), and my latest, “Ruthie and the Hippo’s Fat Behind,” for girls. Nine picture books in all + another PB coming, and a mid-grade adventure in the Aussie outback ( for boys) due late next month.

Q: Tell us about your latest children’s picture book, Ruthie and the Hippo’s Fat Behind. What inspired you to write it and how did you come up with that title?

A: Like my other picture books, “Ruthie” is in rhyme. Now I have a confession to make – rhyme is easy for me. I think I double dipped when they handed out the rhyming gene! Kids today deal with a lot of change – divorce, a move, the death of a loved one etc.

So the idea for “Ruthie,” and that scene stealing pink hippo, came to me late one night in bed – like many of my nuttiest story ideas! These two lines, from the first verse, set the story in my mind:

“Her parents scolded, begged and coaxed, but Ruthie paid no mind,Her moods grew big and ugly – like some Hippo’s fat behind.”

I wanted a fast paced rhyme that was fun to read and visualize, yet also kid and parent friendly. As a teacher’s aid, I discovered that words in rhyme stick with children longer than those in plain text, especially if there is humor involved. Hey! Don’t all authors want their words to be remembered?

Q: Ruthie is an entertaining, fun story told in rhyme yet it offers an important, powerful message. What will children learn from this book?

A: I am so happy you think so. Yes, I do admit to being a bit sneaky when I wrote “Ruthie.” The disruption of “big change” often plays a huge roll in family life. Children and parents cope far better if they talk together about any coming changes: or encourage children to share their feelings after a sudden big change.

Adding the Parent-Teacher guide opens a window for parents and teachers to ask children how they feel about Ruthie, her parents, and her bratty behavior. If children identify with Ruthie, and share their feelings, the frustration and anger that big change often brings, will shrink to a more manageable size.

Q: Is this guide included in the book or available from your website?

A: Yes, the Parent-Teacher guide is included in the back of the book.

Q: The artwork in the book was done by award-winning illustrator and fine artist K.C. Snider. How was your experience working with an illustrator?

A: K.C. was a joy to work with. We chatted back and forth about every illustration, and she was very open to the suggestions I offered. And this is not always the case. Some illustrators like to live in their ivory tower: incommunicado! K.C’s talent is awesome – as is the cool pink hippo that steals the whole book. Her cover art says it all!!

Q: You also offer manuscript critiques to writers. How can readers learn more about your editorial services?

A: Thanks to the internet, my website, and two blogs, I receive Manuscript Critique requests from clients in many different countries. Unfortunately, some are not ready for a professional critique. These I advise, as gently as possible, to keep writing and rewriting, read many more books, and learn basic grammar and writing skills. Join a private critique group if at all possible.

However, many clients simply need some guidance, or clues about tightening and polishing their chapters or pages. Some critiques are done quickly, while other manuscripts take time and patience from both myself and my client. Yet it is the end result that counts. Nothing gives me more of a thrill than to hear that a client’s book has been published. Readers can find more about it on my website, which is listed below.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

Find Books, Writing Help + Manuscript Critique Service, on my WEBSITE DIRECTORY.

Q: Any last words to our readers?

A: Boys are more likely to be reluctant readers. They WILL read, if you find them fun stories with macho action and great humor. I discovered this years ago, when my son did not want to read. My HOOK KIDS on READING offers boy friendly titles.

AND: “Taconi and Claude – Double Trouble,” my coming Aussie adventure, offers action, danger, boy style humor + plus a crazed emu, and all the yabbies, snake, and witchetty grubs a boy could eat.

Thanks for taking the time to interview me, Mayra.

When creating a name for a new product, service or company, the number one rule is to make that new brand name memorable.

The reason is obvious: If your customer can’t remember the name of your product, the chances that he or she will search it out – much less recommend it to someone else – are slim to none. Forgettable names are worthless. Memorable names are priceless.

The bad news is that most companies ignore this rule and end up with product names that are about as memorable as a yesterday’s lunch. The good news is that you don’t have to settle for a forgettable name. Creating memorable names is easier than you think.

All you have to do is take the following crash course in Nameonics – the science of memorable brand names.

Nameonics (yes, I am a word geek, and yes, I made that name up to make this article more memorable) combines “name” with “mnemonics.” As you may recall from English class, mnemonics are linguistic devices that are kind of like memory aids that make information easier to remember.

Here are six basic Nameonics you can use to make the brand names you create more memorable:

Rhyming

Like catchy jingles, names that rhyme often stick in a person’s head whether they want it to or not. Rhyming works in multi-part names like Crunch ‘n Munch and in shorter names like YouTube. Other examples of rhyming include Mellow Yellow, Lean Cuisine, and Reese’s Pieces.

Imagery

The human brain is hardwired to respond to and store visual imagery. That’s why names that evoke a vivid image like BlackBerry, Jaguar, or Hush Puppies are so easy to remember. So when naming your new product, be sure to think in pictures as well as words.

Alliteration

Alliteration is one of the most common mnemonic devices. To create an alliteration, begin each word in the name with the same letter or sound. Bed, Bath & Beyond is an alliteration. Other examples include Coca-Cola, Spic and Span, and Krispy Kreme.

Neologisms

A neologism is a newly invented word like Google or Wii. Neologisms can be created by respelling an existing word. Google is a respelling of the mathematics term “googol”. You can also make a neologism by combining two words. Snapple is a combination of “snap” and “apple.”

Onomatopoeia

Buzz, bang, and thump are all onomatopoeia – words that sound like what they stand for. Brand name examples of onomatopoeia include Whoosh Mobile, Meow Mix, and KaBoom Energy Drink. Try adding some oomph to your names with onomatopoeia.

Haplology

Need your new product to generate a Bunch-O-Business? Then a haplology may be just the ticket. To create a haplology simply take a three-word phrase and abbreviate the one in the middle. Examples include Toys “R” Us, Bug-B-Gone, and Land O’Lakes.

This Ain’t Rocket Science

Nameonics is one science that does not require an advanced degree to practice. Anybody can use rhyming, imagery and other simple Nameonic techniques to make their brand name stand out from the competition and stick in the customer’s memory bank. Give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose but a boring, hard-to-remember name.

“Oooooo. Aaaaahhh,” my children chant as we drive to the Habitat for Humanity thrift shop with our donation of gently used clothing. Twinkling lights drape houses like lace, and figures of Santa, his reindeer, and light speckled trees frolic in front yards. Some streets look like they were misplaced by New York or Las Vegas, they have so many lights, but Florida has to make up somehow for the lack of snow.

The December holidays are upon us and they give rise to several occasions, rituals, and events, depending on your culture, and family traditions. I thought this a perfect time to cover these types of poetry and poetry forms.

Occasional Poetry

More of a poetry genre’ than a poetry form, occasion poems document an occasion. While they are most often written about those special occasions, like weddings and births, they can also be about winning a race or baking cookies with grandma.

BRIEF HISTORY

As long as there have been occasions, there have been occasional poems. Whenever in history you find written language and a culture’s literature, you will probably find that someone wrote a poem about an occasion.

MUST HAVES

–Write about an occasion, that’s it.

COULD HAVES or What’s The Poet’s Choice In All This?

–Any form (or no particular form) just follow the form’s rules if you use one.

–Any rhyme (or no rhyme), unless a form is used, then you follow the rhyme scheme for that form.

–Any meter (or no set meter) unless a form is used, then you follow the meter required for that form.

–Length can be long or short. However, if you use a form, that form might dictate the length.

Ritual Poem

At first glance a ritual poem seems like it might be similar to an occasional poem. We all have specific things we do every morning and night that are ritualistic in nature. A ritual poem is actually very spiritual; a way to connect with your God.

BRIEF HISTORY

Just like the occasion poetry above, the ritual poem is as old as sacred rituals, and can be found in as many places.

MUST HAVES

There are two variations of ritual poem. One is to simply mention the ritual, a spiritual item, or a holy place. The second is like a list of instructions for the ritual. The Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms has a fantastic modern example of this type of poem, as well as a list of instructions. Here is that excerpt:

Inspired by a recent eclipse, a student wrote this ritual poem:

Eclipse Ritual

1. Turn off the lights and give paper moons to everyone.

2. Pretend your face is the sun and put the moon in front of it.

3. Say DARK DARK DARK DARK and close your eyes.

4. Say ECLIPSE ECLIPSE ECLIPSE ECLIPSE.

5. Then become one by wearing dark clothes.

Here are some things to remember when writing this type of ritual poem:

1. Decide what you would like to have occur.

2. Examine all aspects of the subject.

3. Think of actions to illustrate some of these aspects.

4. Write each action down as a command.

5. Number the commands.

6. Let yourself go.

(Padgett 157)

COULD HAVES or What’s The Poet’s Choice In All This?

As you can see by the example above, you don’t have to write a religious ritual if you don’t want to, however, you will want to choose a moment that might convey a spiritual feeling.

Event Poem

The event poem is another form of poetry that is a numeric listing. In the ritual poem, it contains a ritual of some sort. However, an event poem, doesn’t feature an event.

BRIEF HISTORY

“Event poems emerged in the late 1950’s, the same time as the art form called ‘Happenings.’ In fact, an event poem could be seen as the written equivalent of a Happening” (Padgett 74). Happenings were plays with no plots, in which wacky things happened. The event poem takes an ordinary object and lists wacky things to do to and with it.

MUST HAVES

–An object to write about.

–Start lines with verbs. No verbs of being (is, am, are, was, were been, etc). Only action here!

–At least three lines.

–Nothing you would normally do with or to the object in the poem.

Example from my favorite book of poetic forms:

Pineapple Event Poem

1. Cut the pineapple in half and wear the two halves as earmuffs on a cold winter day.

2. Peel the skins off 100 pineapples and glue them down to the floor as tiles.

3. Cut out five of the little round lozenges on the pineapple skin and sew them on your jacket as buttons.

4. Look at the pineapple. It looks like the torch of the Statue of Liberty.

5. Feel the pineapple. It feels like a suede sneaker on the foot of a very large kid.

(Padgett 75)

COULD HAVES or What’s The Poet’s Choice In All This?

–Any object.

–Any length that is more than 3 lines.

–Rhyme or not (although most do not).

OF NOTE

Try using this type of poem as a way to practice your creative thinking, or a fun way to beat writers block.

Source Notes:

Padgett, Ron. The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms. 2nd. NY: T & W Books, 2000.

Kindergarten children naturally love to sing! It is one of the many ways they learn. Music and singing should be a part of any good quality Pre School or Kindergarten program. Children instinctively like to hum, sing, make up songs, make sounds and experiment with rhyme and language and therefore we should use this to an advantage and bring learning to children through song. Singing is often one of the ways we bond with our children from a very early age-from the soothing lullaby to nursery rhymes or fun educational songs as they get older.

What are the benefits of singing at Kindergarten?

• Singing assists in the development of musical skills such as rhythm and beat
• Singing also makes learning fun and is a feel-good activity!
• Physical skills are enhanced when combining actions with song
• Singing is a wonderful way to encourage cultural awareness-learning songs in other languages or learning about others
• Language skills acquired through singing such as rhyme assist in reading development
• Singing is also a great breathing exercise and action songs and singing games can be a terrific aerobic exercise. Singing has health benefits too! It releases endorphins and makes one feel happy and positive
• Quieter children also find singing a wonderful emotional release mechanism and it is a great form of self expression.
• Singing encourages memory skills
• Not only language based skills are enhanced but mathematical and scientific skills also.
• Singing is a spontaneous activity and can happen anywhere, anytime without the need for equipment or resources. Songs can be made up to make the words relevant to the topic or personal to a particular child
• Singing can boost self esteem and confidence in children. It is a way of sharing their learning with their families in a fun and positive way.
• Singing also aids in developing listening skills and speech sounds
• The repetitiveness of language used in songs helps children’s learning at this age and they are more likely to retain this information
• singing together creates a feeling of connectedness,community and sharing

Singing is a wonderful activity that presents many benefits to the Kindergarten or Pre School aged child. Early childhood teachers have long known that singing is one of the most effective ways for children to learn. A program rich in music and singing experiences will almost certainly be a place where children are enjoying their learning in a fun and relevant way.

Music is the glue that holds together all activities in a preschool graduation party. If you get the selection of a March or party song right you can see the animation of the preschool children as they dance. However if you get it wrong the party can fall flat on its face and will not have the requisite vibrancy that is so crucial to getting the party started. This article will look at some of the things that you need to consider when choosing a song for your preschool graduate.

The first principle as always is the Montessori way of educating children which involves the use of the person’s unique qualities to create an education system that acknowledges their individual abilities and merits. Under this principle even the choice of a graduation song must involve the children themselves.

You will need to choose songs that fits the preschool graduates age group for which you are planning the ceremony. Preschool children have their own preferences for music whether it is pop or rock music. You will need to understand that what they are into at the moment. As a parent you might get quite surprised that you do not have a clue when it comes to the musical tastes of your preschool graduate. In fact some of them will enjoy the most appalling cheesy music ever but you have to take it in good spirit by understanding that this party is not about you but about your young graduate.

At the beginning of this article we have been talking about music for the party itself but there is also music that is required for the formal graduation ceremony itself. Sometimes the preschool itself will organize its own music or may ask the parents to contribute to the decision by way of a suggestion box method. If you are asked to give your opinion on what the music should be, you should take the opportunity. It might make the day more enjoyable for your child.

As for the preschools themselves, they are well advised to consult with parents and ensure that everyone has an opportunity to use the music that they enjoy. It might be a good idea to hire a brass band to help with the festivities or even other students might be involved.

Remember that the graduation even for a young toddler is a great event and they will want to be part of something that is fun for them but also something that they will never forget if you do it properly.

A successful preschool graduation party should have everyone celebrating and having fun. By choosing the correct type of music, you will be giving your child the experience of a lifetime with the added benefit that you might also enjoy the experience.

If you are going to lead a group in cub scout songs, the best advice for you is to have fun and get silly; in fact the sillier, the better! Cub scout age boys have more energy than anybody I know. They are just bursting at the seams. To get them to sit still long enough to get something done takes talent, patience and nerves of steel. It only there were some way to bottle that energy, we could make a fortune.

A good way to harness that energy is to get them moving. Just because they are singing doesn’t mean they have to sit still with their arms folded without moving a muscle. Here are a few good cub scout songs that should work for you:

• My Bonnie:

  This is a good song to get the boys moving. Whenever you sing the letter “B”, you go back and forth between sitting and standing. For example: My Bonnie (stand) lies over the ocean, My Bonnie (sit) lies over the sea, My Bonnie (stand) lies over the ocean. O, Bring (sit)Back (stand) my Bonnie (sit) to me.
  Bring (stand) Back (sit), Bring (stand) Back (sit), O Bring (stand) Back (sit) my Bonnie (stand) to me, to me. Bring (sit) Back (stand), Bring (sit) Back (stand), O Bring (sit) Back (stand) my Bonnie (sit) to me.
  I like to go faster each time we sing it.

• There Ain’t No Bugs On Me:

  You can use this to teach rhyming and put the boys minds to work. Have the cub scouts make up their own words for each new verse. You only have to change two words; just change “bugs” and “mugs” for two other words that rhyme. A few of my favorites are flies & guys; bees & knees; bears & hairs; ants & pants; cougars & boogers (booger is a cool word to a cub scout!); and many more that you can think of. There are some simple hand motions you can use on the chorus; move your finger around like a flying mosquito. As you sing:”Mosquito, he fly high” lift your finger up high “Mosquito, he fly low” put your finger down low” If old skeeter lands on me” land your finger on your knee, or shoulder, or another part of your body “He ain’t gonna fly now more.” On the word “ain’t”, slap that part of the body where the skeeter landed.

• Jenny Jenkins:

  This is another song where the boys can make up their own verses. In the first verse, Jenny wears white. The word that rhymes with white is bright. Let the kids come up with different colors, and then think of a word that rhymes with that color. For example: red; I won’t wear red, it’s the color of my head. Or, I won’t wear red, I’d rather stay in bed. Or, black; I won’t wear black, I’d rather sit on a tack. Or, blue; I won’t wear blue, I’d rather smell bobby’s shoe. The possibilities are endless. Try to stick to one or two syllable colors. However, you can have a lot of fun trying to rhyme colors like “pomegranate, magenta, or lavendar”.

• Waddaly Atcha:

  This is another good movement song to sing while seated. The only part that moves is your hands and arms. These are the motions: Pat your legs twice; clap hands twice; pass one hand over the other twice; switch hands and do the same thing; with your index finger touch your nose then the opposite shoulder; repeat with the other index finger; wave goodbye twice with one hand; then repeat it with the other hand. That’s it. Repeat over and over again until you or the boys have had enough. This is another song that is fun to speed up or slow down each time you sing it.

  Chumbara:

  I like to use this song for all ages and groups. It’s simple to learn, having only one word. It’s also easy to think up new verses. Anything word or combination of words with 3 syllables works best. You can use names like Ta-ba-tha or Jen-ny-Jones. You can use food like ho-mi-ny or rasp-ber-ry. You can use places like Ne-bra-ska or I-ta-ly. You don’t have to stick to 3 syllable songs; try some 1, 2 or 4 or even more and see what happens!

Cub scouts also like songs like: Do Your Ears Hang Low; Nobody Likes Me; McGregor; and I Like Bananas, Coconuts and Grapes.

Any of these songs are excellent to sing with young boys. You can also use any of the songs for boy scouts, girl scouts and church youth groups. I have written articles for each of these groups, so check them out for more ideas. I am always looking for new songs to sing around a campfire. If you have some favorites you’d like to share, I would love to hear from you.

The Creative Space

Years ago, at a Self-Improvement workshop by Jerry Stocking, participants were asked to listen to a children’s rhyme and repeat it. It was a rather long rhyme and everybody lost track of the sequence of events and stopped in embarrassment.

A tense and nervous atmosphere built up in the room as one person after another failed to recite the entire rhyme. People began to feel that they just had insufficient short term memory to recall and repeat the whole thing.

Then a NASA Aeronautical Engineer, with numerous pauses, got it!

His secret was that he paused. During those pauses, in the space between words, his subconscious mind prompted him with the next line of the verse.

“This,” said Jerry Stocking, “was the secret–because the space between things allowed intelligence and creativity to emerge.”

Both Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer are equally enthusiastic about this space between thoughts. They call it “the gap.”

Deepak Chopra says it is a contact point between our mind and the quantum field of all possibilities.

Wayne Dyer believes that for a moment, one actually touches the divine before springing back into our consensus reality, which is kept alive by a constant stream of limiting thoughts.

Echart Tolle has earned fame and fortune teaching others about this space. He is famous for his long silences, during which he is merely being aware, and devoid of thought. When he, by example, induces this state in his audience, they feel a sense of deep peace and “a fullness of being.”

Similarly, when I was studying art, learning how to draw people, horses, dogs, still life objects, barns, and open spaces, the space between my sketches were the most meaningful. With those spaces, my images came to life.

I love classical music, and it is for the same reason. The space between the notes is where the magic lies.

I have noticed a new surge of creativity in my online endeavors as well, when I respect these spaces.

When I am writing a sales letter, my thoughts become very intense, and after a while I suffer from information overload. When I take a break and come back, all the sentences flow perfectly, and I convey my message the way that I had hoped.

The same amazing thing happens after studying. If I spend a lot of time researching something, then give it a break, which may last for as long as a day, all the elements of the project become very clear to me.

The other day, I was listening to a David Valleries interview and I had to smile when he said that his most creative ideas came after he had quit pursuing them and did something utterly mundane instead.

There is a magic to the space between images, notes, streams of thought, and information gathering. Respect those spaces and confusion dissipates. Then the mind becomes very clear and action becomes efficient and precise.

The song Mary Had A Little Lamb dates back to 1830. It is a well known English Nursery Rhyme. Because it only uses a range of 5 notes on the piano it is easy to play on the piano. you are going to learn the song using just the black keys!

The black keys on the piano are grouped in 2 then 3 over the entire keyboard. You are going to be using a group of 3 black keys and then the first black key in the group of 2, directly above. In the middle of the piano find 3 black keys grouped together. These are called F# (sharp), G# and A#. The extra note that you are going to play is C#.

Piano fingering refers to the number that each finger is given. The thumb = 1, the index finger = 2, all the way through to the little finger = 5. This fingering is the same for both the right and left hand.

To play the tune in your right hand, place 1 (thumb) on F#. This is the lowest of the 3 black notes. Place finger 2 on G#, 3 on A# and 5 on C#. It will feels as though you are on stilts!

To play the tune in the left hand place 5 on F#, 4 on G#, 3 on A# and 1 on C#

Here are the notes of the nursery rhyme:

A# G# F# G# A# A# A#

G# G# G#, A# C# C#

A# G# F# G# A# A# A# F#

G# G# A# G# F#

Here are the words of the song:

“Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb, lit-tle lamb. Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb whose fleece was white as snow.”

This is the piano fingering for the notes played in the left hand:

3 4 5 4 3 3 3

4 4 4, 3 1 1

3 4 5 4 3 3 3 5

4 4 3 4 5

This is the piano fingering for the notes played in the right hand:

3 2 1 2 3 3 3

2 2 2, 3 5 5

3 2 1 2 3 3 3 1

2 2 3 2 1