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Katherine Mansfield (14 October 1888 – 9 January 1923 / Wellington)
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A Little Boy's Dream
To and fro, to and fro
In my little boat I go
Sailing far across the sea
All alone, just little me.
And the sea is big and strong
And the journey very long.
To and fro, to and fro
In my little boat I go.
Sea and sky, sea and sky,
Quietly on the deck I lie,
Having just a little rest.
I have really done my best
In an awful pirate fight,
But we cdaptured them all right.
Sea and sky, sea and sky,
Quietly on the deck I lie--
Far away, far away
From my home and from my play,
On a journey without end
Only with the sea for friend
And the fishes in the sea.
But they swim away from me
Far away, far away
From my home and from my play.
Then he cried "O Mother dear."
And he woke and sat upright,
They were in the rocking chair,
Mother's arms around him--tight.
Read poems about / on: journey, sea, sky, mother, home, friend, alone, dream, fish, fishing, swimming
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it so sad and cute at the same time, a good bed time story
Easy flow, nice and simple, I would love to read it to my dreamy little one.
Landlubbers and party-poopers need not apply for passage on this little boy's wee vessel, hear me loud and clear! Life is a journey without end, lad, yet every day we go to and fro, back and forth all the livelong day!
Chill, man, and let go for once! Must every poem you come across have one word or line or phrase that does not measure up to your ideal, your standard that not even a Shakespeare in his wildest dreams could achieve!
I hate to be a party pooper, but 'to and fro' means back and forth.Why is this little boat going back and forth on a journey 'without end'? But it's a nice poem - encapsulating that wonderful period in life when one feels absolutely safe, and can dream deliciously of being unsafe.
And we all return home!
As always, this is how children grow.
Absolutely adorable - added to my favourite poems list!
A simple little poem suitable for children to read and enjoy and also using it learn to write poems!
This is an adorable little fantasy poem. I'm happy to have
discovered this talented poet. '10! '
wow, what a poem! so sweet, but still so thoughtful. yes, mother is that shore without reaching it u`ll be sailing all ur life untill ur boat is worn out
woh, , , okay that felt like i was rocking along with the boat, the way that you placed the words was amazing...i am truly inspired. keep writing :)
.xx. cat.xx.
Mansfield's admiration for the short stories of Anton Chekhov comes through in this delightful slice of life poem about a little boy's dream. She wrote often about women and children with the utmost of delicacy and psychological insight. It's not so much a tribute to a mother's love for her male child, as it is an honest account of what most little boys would likely dream about!
She understands that boys by their very nature seek adventure and identify with swashbucklers of every stripe. Whether it be the Lone Ranger and Tonto or today's Spiderman, boys fantasize about capturing pirates and bad guys. Watch boys play with trucks and guns and sailboats in the bathtub, and you'll see how much Mansfield understands the desires and dreams of the male animal. What boy hasn't dreamt of running away to sea?
Incidentally, Mansfield uses simple words and images to convey a feeling of being a child and seeing the world in childish ways. But it's so delicate and subtle that most of you agree it could be to music as a lullaby and enjoyed by adults.