Good King Arthur — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

When good King Arthur ruled this land,
He was a goodly king;
He stole three pecks of barley-meal,
To make a bag-pudding.
A bag-pudding the king did make,
And stuffed it well with plums;
And in it put great lumps of fat,
As big as my two thumbs.
The king and queen did eat thereof,
And noblemen beside;
And what they could not eat that night,
The queen next morning fried.

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Learning from "Good King Arthur"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Good King Arthur" uses 12 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 Good King Arthur?
The lyrics to Good King Arthur are: When good King Arthur ruled this land, / He was a goodly king; / He stole three pecks of barley-meal, / To make a bag-pudding. / A bag-pudding the king did make, / And stuffed it well with plums; ... Read the full 12-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Good King Arthur have?
"Good King Arthur" has 12 lines of verse.

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