The Holly Tree — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Highty, tighty, paradighty clothed in green,
The king could not read it, no more could the queen;
They sent for a wise man out of the East,
Who said it had horns, but was not a beast!

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Learning from "The Holly Tree"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Holly Tree" 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 Holly Tree?
The lyrics to The Holly Tree are: Highty, tighty, paradighty clothed in green, / The king could not read it, no more could the queen; / They sent for a wise man out of the East, / Who said it had horns, but was not a beast!
How many lines does The Holly Tree have?
"The Holly Tree" has 4 lines of verse.

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