Edward Lear (1812–1888) was an English artist and poet who made nonsense into an art. His verses are full of invented words and impossible journeys: an owl and a pussy-cat who sail away for a year and a day, a crew who go to sea in a sieve, and a lonely creature whose nose glows in the dark. Most of the poems here were collected in Nonsense Songs (1871) and Laughable Lyrics (1877).
Under the silliness, Lear’s poems are carefully musical, which makes them a joy to read aloud and easy for children to join in. Each poem below has its own page with the full text and a read-aloud.
New to Lear? Start with The Owl and the Pussy-cat, then sail off with The Jumblies.
The Poems
Tap a title to read the full text and watch its read-aloud.
- The Owl and the Pussy-catA pea-green boat, a shilling ring and a dance by the moon.
- The JumbliesThey went to sea in a sieve, they did.
- The Duck and the KangarooA duck in woolly socks hops around the world.
- The Quangle Wangle’s HatAn enormous hat fills up with friends.
- The Pobble Who Has No ToesA swim across the Bristol Channel, and ten missing toes.
- The Dong with a Luminous NoseThe lonely Dong searches the night for the Jumbly Girl.