A Wise Old Owl — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A wise old owl sat in an oak,
The more he heard, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he heard;
Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?

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Learning from "A Wise Old Owl"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "A Wise Old Owl" uses 4 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to A Wise Old Owl?
The lyrics to A Wise Old Owl are: A wise old owl sat in an oak, / The more he heard, the less he spoke; / The less he spoke, the more he heard; / Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?
How many lines does A Wise Old Owl have?
"A Wise Old Owl" has 4 lines of verse.

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