Cape Horn — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There was an Old Man of Cape Horn,
Who wished he had never been born;
So he sat on a Chair till he died of despair,
That dolorous Man of Cape Horn

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Learning from "Cape Horn"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Cape Horn" 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 Cape Horn?
The lyrics to Cape Horn are: There was an Old Man of Cape Horn, / Who wished he had never been born; / So he sat on a Chair till he died of despair, / That dolorous Man of Cape Horn
How many lines does Cape Horn have?
"Cape Horn" has 4 lines of verse.

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