The Isles — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There was an Old Man of the Isles,
Whose face was pervaded with smiles;
He sang "High dum diddle," and played on the fiddle,
That amiable Man of the Isles.

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Learning from "The Isles"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Isles" 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 Isles?
The lyrics to The Isles are: There was an Old Man of the Isles, / Whose face was pervaded with smiles; / He sang "High dum diddle," and played on the fiddle, / That amiable Man of the Isles.
How many lines does The Isles have?
"The Isles" has 4 lines of verse.

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