The Black Hen — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen;
Gentlemen come every day
To see what my black hen doth lay.

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Learning from "The Black Hen"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Black Hen" 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 The Black Hen?
The lyrics to The Black Hen are: Hickety, pickety, my black hen, / She lays eggs for gentlemen; / Gentlemen come every day / To see what my black hen doth lay.
How many lines does The Black Hen have?
"The Black Hen" has 4 lines of verse.

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