The Fox and the Grapes — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A famished Fox saw some clusters of ripe black grapes hanging from a trellised vine. She resorted to all her tricks to get at them, but wearied herself in vain, for she could not reach them. At last she turned away, beguiling herself of her disappointment, and saying: "The Grapes are sour, and not ripe as I thought."
Revile not things beyond your reach.

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Learning from "The Fox and the Grapes"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Fox and the Grapes" 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 Fox and the Grapes?
The lyrics to The Fox and the Grapes are: A famished Fox saw some clusters of ripe black grapes hanging from a trellised vine. She resorted to all her tricks to get at them, but wearied herself in vain, for she could not reach them. At last she turned away, beguiling herself of her disappointment, and saying: "The Grapes are sour, and not ripe as I thought." / Revile not things beyond your reach.
How many lines does The Fox and the Grapes have?
"The Fox and the Grapes" has 2 lines of verse.

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