Poor Mary — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Poor Jenny is a-weeping,
A-weeping, a-weeping,
Poor Jenny is a-weeping
On a bright summer's day.
Why are you weeping,
Weeping, weeping,
Why are you weeping,
On a bright summer's day?
I'm weeping for a loved one,
A loved one, a loved one,
I'm weeping for a loved one,
On a bright summer's day?
Stand up and choose your loved one,
Your loved one, your loved one,
Stand up and choose your loved one,
One a bright summer's day.
Shake hands before you leave 'er,
You leave 'er, you leave 'er,
Shake hands before you leave 'er,
On a bright summer's day.

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Learning from "Poor Mary"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Poor Mary" uses 20 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 Poor Mary?
The lyrics to Poor Mary are: Poor Jenny is a-weeping, / A-weeping, a-weeping, / Poor Jenny is a-weeping / On a bright summer's day. / Why are you weeping, / Weeping, weeping, ... Read the full 20-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Poor Mary have?
"Poor Mary" has 20 lines of verse.

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