The Alouette song is one of the most popular English nursery rhymes used to teach little ones parts of the body. However, the rhyme has a great history and story of origin to it. The rhyme has a French origin, and the version we sing today is a translated version of the original. US Marines and other Allied soldiers learned the song while serving in France during the War and then passed it down to their children and grandchildren. First published in A Pocket Song Book for the Use of Students and Graduates of McGill College, the song is also believed to have Canadian origins. Where do you think the Alouette nursery rhyme originates from?
Alouette Lyrics In English
The lyrics of the Alouette poem are:
Lark, nice lark,
Lark, I will pluck you.
I will pluck your head. (×2)
And your head! (×2)
Lark! (×2)
O-o-o-oh
I will pluck your beak. (×2)
And your beak! (×2)
And your head! (×2)
Lark! (×2)
O-o-o-oh
I will pluck your eyes. (×2)
And your eyes! (×2)
And your beak! (×2)
And your head! (×2)
Lark! (×2)
O-o-o-oh
I will pluck your neck. (×2)
And your neck! (×2)
And your eyes! (×2)
And your beak! (×2)
And your head! (×2)
Lark! (×2)
O-o-o-oh
I will pluck your wings. (×2)
And your wings! (×2)
And your neck! (×2)
And your eyes! (×2)
And your beak! (×2)
And your head! (×2)
Lark! (×2)
O-o-o-oh
I will pluck your legs. (×2)
And your legs! (×2)
And your wings! (×2)
And your neck! (×2)
And your eyes! (×2)
And your beak! (×2)
And your head! (×2)
Lark! (×2)
O-o-o-oh
I will pluck your tail. (×2)
And your tail! (×2)
And your legs! (×2)
And your wings! (×2)
And your neck! (×2)
And your eyes! (×2)
And your beak! (×2)
And your head! (×2)
Lark! (×2)
O-o-o-oh
What Will Your Child Learn From The Alouette Nursery Rhyme?
You can teach your child the different parts of their body or the different parts of a bird’s body. Since the rhyme talks about different parts of a body from where they will pluck feathers, the poem is perfect for teaching your child the different body parts and their uses. You can point to different parts of your body as you sing and dance with your little one. Since it’s turned into a song, it’ll be easy for your little one even to remember! With practice and consistency, your little one will soon be able to learn different body parts.
Theme Of The Alouette Nursery Rhyme
The Canadian theory suggests that the song is based on the French fur trade that lasted for over 300 years in North America. French colonists ate Larks, and the song, too, informs the lark that the speaker will first pluck the head, beak, eyes, wings and then finally the tail. Hence, we can say that the theme of the nursery rhyme is the hunting and feather plucking of a Lark.
Rhyming Pattern Of The Alouette Nursery Rhyme
We observe a pattern in which there is a lot of repetition in the verses throughout the rhyme. The last seven paragraphs have almost all the lines repeated twice.
Look closely for any other patterns you can see and tell us in the comments below!
Words That Your Child Will Learn From The Alouette Nursery Rhyme
Words your little one will learn from the Alouette nursery rhyme –
- Lark: A species of bird.
- Pluck: Take hold of it and quickly remove it from its place.
- Beak: An external anatomical structure found in birds.
- Wings: a modified forelimb that bears large feathers and is used for flying.
Suggested Activities
1. Dress up like a bird
Make your child’s imagination come to life with this fun activity
- While you sing and dance with your little one, you can have your little one dress up as a bird and enact the poem.
- You can even stick some crafting feathers on your child and then ‘pluck’ them off them! This will be a fun and engaging way for your little one to learn.
2. Bird watching
A visit to a bird sanctuary is such an awesome weekend plan!
- Visit an aviary, lake side or bird sanctuary with various birds
- Ask them to spot larks among other birds
- Make them note down the unique features of larks in their scrapbooks
- Take lots of pictures for good memories.
FAQs
1. Is Alouette too graphic to teach my child?
You don’t have to tell your child too many details. Focus on the body parts instead of the significance of the poem, and let them learn the names of the body parts!
2. When can I start teaching my child the Alouette nursery rhyme?
You can teach your child the nursery rhyme as soon as you feel they are ready, depending on the type of books they are reading, what they’re seeing and observing around them and when you think they are old enough to be able to understand the words better.
Also Read:
Betty Botter Rhyme for Kids in English
Humpty Dumpty Nursery Rhyme for Children
Two Little Dickie Birds Rhyme with Lyrics for Kids
