The Dove and the Crow — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A Dove shut up in a cage was boasting of the large number of the young ones which she had hatched. A Crow, hearing her, said: "My good friend, cease from this unreasonable boasting. The larger the number of your family, the greater your cause of sorrow, in seeing them shut up in this prison-house."
To enjoy our blessings we must have freedom.

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Learning from "The Dove and the Crow"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Dove and the Crow" uses 2 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 Dove and the Crow?
The lyrics to The Dove and the Crow are: A Dove shut up in a cage was boasting of the large number of the young ones which she had hatched. A Crow, hearing her, said: "My good friend, cease from this unreasonable boasting. The larger the number of your family, the greater your cause of sorrow, in seeing them shut up in this prison-house." / To enjoy our blessings we must have freedom.
How many lines does The Dove and the Crow have?
"The Dove and the Crow" has 2 lines of verse.

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