Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Rob Houghton »

That's another good one. It shows how good Enid was at putting herself into the mind of a child, and we get a really strong feeling of the bond between child and dog. :-)

One for the cat lovers! ;-)

A Lap Like Granny's

My cat's a cosy sort of cat,
She curls herself up tight,
She cuddles in a little heap
And purrs with all her might.

She simply loves when Granny comes,
She jumps up on her knee,
And there she stays till Granny goes,
And just won't come to me!

But Granny laughs and says, "My dear,
Just grow a nice big lap,
Then Puss will always lie on you
To have her daily nap!"

Granny's lap is big and soft,
There's lots of room to spare.
I really think I'll grow one too,
Then puss will cuddle there!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Another lovely one which I hadn't seen before. Enid was skilled at portraying things from the perspective of a child.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Rob Houghton »

I've been doing a poem-search in the 'Flower' books, which have quite a few short ones, all very entertaining. :-)

A couple (or three!) that I enjoyed -

Second Thoughts (The Foxglove storybook)

Mister Nap, and Mister Snooze, and Mr Fortywinks
Greeted one another with nods and yawns and blinks.
"A lovely day!" said Mister Nap,
"So fresh!" said Mister Snooze,
"Let's walk!" said Mister Fortywinks, and looked round for his shoes.

When Mister Nap had found his hat, he sank down in a chair,
While Mister Snooze went hunting for a stick that wasn't there!
"Make haste!" said Mister Fortywinks, tying up his laces,
"We'll soon be on the sunny hills, running lots of races!"

Said Mister Nap, "I do believe it's coming on to rain!"
Said Mister Snooze, "If that is so, we can't go out, it's plain!"
Then Fortywinks took off his shoes, and soon the lazy three
Were fast asleep and snoring hard, as happy as could be!



Where, Oh Where? (The Bluebell Storybook)
(this one reminds me of a Mr Twiddle story!)

Where, oh where, have my spectacles gone?
I've hunted all round to see,
A minute ago I still had them on,
Now where, oh where can they be?

They're not on the table, they're not on the chair,
And I've hunted all over the ground,
Come wife, and help me to look all about,
My spectacles aren't to be found!

What's that you say? You don't need to look?
Well, tell me at once where they've gone!
I'm longing to read all the tales in this book -
Dear me - I've still got them on!


Jack Frost The Painter (The Daffodil Storybook)

(It struck me reading this that we rarely have 'Jack Frost' painted windows these days - such a shame!)

At school I have a box of paints
And paint a lot of things,
Houses, animals and cars,
And fairy folk with wings.

I think I'm very clever - but
At night-time someone creeps,
And draws upon my window pane,
While all the household sleeps!

Upon the glass he quickly paints
Ferns and trees and flowers,
My window is his drawing book,
he paints on it for hours.

And in the morning when I wake
His pictures there I see,
And say "Jack Frost, how kind you are!
You've drawn all night for me!"


8)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

'Second Thoughts' in particular is well-written and very funny! :lol: Enid Blyton certainly had a talent for light verse.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Courtenay »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:'Second Thoughts' in particular is well-written and very funny! :lol:
Yes, they sound rather like Roger Hargreaves characters - friends of Mr Lazy, perhaps? :wink:

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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Kate Mary »

A seasonal offering from a less frequented corner of the Cave:

Spring-Time

Now take my hand and away we'll go
Over the fields where the king-cups grow,
Up on the hill where the cowslips swing,
And through the green woods where the little birds sing.

We'll hear all the bluebells ring out in the breeze,
We'll hum just as loud as the brown honey-bees,
We'll skip just as madly as lambs on the hill,
For the spring's in our feet, and they won't keep still!

We'll visit the cuckoo and ask him to play,
We'll call "Cuckoo!" too, when we've hidden away!
Oh, we'll be as gay as the blackbirds that sing,
For again the world's young - and to-day it is spring!

Sunny Stories Calendar 1943
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

A very jolly poem, Kate!

Here's another poem from a Sunny Stories Calendar (1942). It's dreamy and thoughtful and reminds me of summertime walks along the seafront (we walked along the seafront yesterday and it was already quite hot in the sun):

The Things We Love

Blue of sky and blue of sea,
And where they meet is hid from me,
For on this hot and hazy day
The far horizon's slipped away.

White gulls sail against the sky,
With laughing calls they circle high,
Then on the breeze with wing outspread
They glide in grace above my head.

And lovely as the gulls in grace
Are those white sailing-ships that trace
A silvery wake across the blue
And dip and skim as swallows do.

Blue of sea and blue of sky,
Swiftly summer hurries by,
But within our memories deep
All the things we love we'll keep.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Rob Houghton
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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Rob Houghton »

I really love that one, as it has a great feeling to it and is more adult in theme and in content. Although of course Enid was a children's poet, I always think she is at her best when appealing to both children and adults. It has a real wistful feeling to it, but also a delight and satisfaction in the here and now. :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by walter raleigh »

Yes I really like that one too. It has a slightly melancholy air about it that I always find appealing in poetry.
"Stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence like poor Julian in the Famous Five!"

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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Kate Mary »

There are some lovely poems and short pieces in the Sunny Stories calendars. Anita chose a really lovely one. We are lucky to have so many complete calendars in the Cave.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Rob Houghton »

Another one from the 1944 calendar -

Gold And Blue

Gold and blue for April days,
Primroses in woodland ways,
Speedwell with her brilliant eye,
Blue as any April sky;
Gold of polished celandine,
Daffodils in dancing line,
Steely-blue the swallow's wing,
Ah, no wonder blackbirds sing,
Opening wide a golden beak
Ever-sweeter songs to seek,
Fluting down the woodland ways,
Gold and blue for April days.


8)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Kate Mary
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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Kate Mary »

Seeing the bluebells and may blossom in the hedges, I've had the last two lines of this poem in my head these last few days.

Maytime

Oh, take my hand and we will go
Where hawthorn lies like drifted snow,
And petals blowing on the grass
Will make a carpet where we pass.

Oh, come with me and we will tread
In woodland ways, where, overhead
The trees are standing cheek to cheek,
And secrets to each other speak.
Where misty bluebells dream all day
And big-eyed rabbits peep and play.

Oh, take my hand and wander now
Where apple blossom stars the bough,
And in the hedges with wild grace
The parsley spreads its foamy lace.

Oh, Maytime, fold your fleeting wing,
And let it be forever Spring!

Sunny Stories Calendar 1942
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

That evokes the month of May beautifully, Kate. The last two lines of that poem are quoted by Uncle Merry in Enid Blyton's Nature Lover's Book and by Diana in The Ring O' Bells Mystery - though she says "thy fleeting wing"!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Rob Houghton
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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by Rob Houghton »

Lovely poem. I'd never read that one before, although I do recall the quoting of the last two lines of it as Anita mentions/ :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Favourite Enid Blyton Poems

Post by walter raleigh »

That's a lovely poem. I walked home from work the other day and took a long cut through some woodland, and these verses sum up much of what I saw, beautifully. Interesting to see another instance of Blyton quoting herself too. Despite her supposed old-fashioned image, she was actually quite post-modern in some ways.
"Stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence like poor Julian in the Famous Five!"

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