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Old Lady Whose Folly — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There was an Old Lady whose folly
Induced her to sit in a holly;
Whereon, by a thorn her dress being torn,
She quickly became melancholy.

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Learning from "Old Lady Whose Folly"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Old Lady Whose Folly" 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 Old Lady Whose Folly?
The lyrics to Old Lady Whose Folly are: There was an Old Lady whose folly / Induced her to sit in a holly; / Whereon, by a thorn her dress being torn, / She quickly became melancholy.
How many lines does Old Lady Whose Folly have?
"Old Lady Whose Folly" has 4 lines of verse.