A Child's Garden of Verses

By: R. L. Stevenson

Again, I found treasures when I came by at a second-hand book store: Five old classic English books! To list them are: A biography of Madame Curie written by Eve Curie, Louisa Mary Alcott’s Little Women, Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, The Royal Crown Readers with Coloured Illustration – Book 1, and R. L. Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses. Soon they become other rich new family members for my personal library collection.

Hitherto I tend to read novels than poetry, but after reading the first page of Mr. Stevenson poem, I could not stop. It amazed me with simple yet delicate well-arranged words. All of them were taken from childhood memories of young Stevenson who had spent almost her early ages in bed by the care of his beloved nurse due to his body weakness. However, they do not lack of imaginative ideas, even though sometimes simple in themes. My eyes and mind are spoilt with well-rhymed words contained of many experiences, joys and dreams the young R .L. S. had. And I think he was a genius!

As a grown up, most of us often forget about our childhood moments. On the contrary, children of every age love playing and games, observing new things, and imagining adventurous dreams. We can find them in this book where Mr. Stevenson describes them beautifully. Take an example,

“O what a joy to clamber there,

 O what a place for play,

 With the sweet, the dim, the dusty air,

 The happy hills of hay.”

(taken from The Hayloft)

Or this,

“When at home alone I sit,

 And am very tired of it,

 I have just shut my eyes

 To go sailing through the skies-

 To go sailing far away

 To the pleasant Land of Play;

 To the fairy land afar

 Where the Little People are;”

(taken from The Little Land)

There are some poems especially dedicated to his mother and also his nurse.

“You too, my mother, read my rhymes

 For the love of forgotten times,

 And you may chance to hear once more

 The little feet along the floor.”

(taken from To My Mother)

Some others tell about his feeling when he should be in bed while the day was a very fine; how he longed for playmates, yet found his joy merely by reading a picture story-book!  

“And does it not seem hard to you,

 When all the sky is clear and blue,

 And I should like so much to play,

 To have to go to bed by day?”

(taken from Bed in Summer)

And,

“How am I to sing your praise,

 Happy chimney-corner, days,

 Sitting safe in the nursery nooks,

 Reading picture story-books?”

(taken from Picture-Books in Winter)

Mr. Stevenson also poured out his thoughts about being a children and what should their duty are, instead of playing and games.

“A child should always say what’s true,

 And speak when he is spoken to,

 And behave mannerly at table;

 At least as far as he is able.”

(taken from Whole Duty of Children)

Also, he talked about the rain, the changing seasons, the farm and its livestock, traveling, and flowers in the garden. Even, last but not least, he made a special poem for his readers.

“Whether upon the garden seat

 You lounge with your uplifted feet

 Under the May’s whole Heaven of blue;

 Or whether on the sofa you,

 No grown up person being by,

 Do some soft corner occupy!

 Take this volume in your hands

 And enter into other lands.”

(taken from To Any Reader)

Another link:
http://www.lone-star.net/mall/literature/rls/childs-garden-of-verses.htm