Book Quiz with 10 questions about Nursery Rhymes

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Books Quiz - Nursery Rhymes (Questions)

Nursery rhymes mix catchy rhythm with strange little stories. This quiz explores how these short verses entertain children while hinting at deeper themes and historical traditions.

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Fascinating Fact:

Many nursery rhymes come from an oral tradition, so repetition and strong rhythm help listeners remember the words accurately.

In Specialist Books, this quiz on nursery rhymes looks at rhyme, rhythm, and imagery. You will explore how these short verses shape mood, create character, and sometimes suggest hidden or historical meanings.

Key Terms

Nursery rhyme: A short, usually traditional verse for children, often with strong rhythm, rhyme, and simple imagery.
Rhythm: The pattern of stressed and unstressed beats in a line, which makes a rhyme catchy and memorable.
Rhyme scheme: The pattern of rhyming sounds at the end of lines, which can be labelled using letters such as AABB or ABAB.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is a nursery rhyme in literature?

A nursery rhyme is a short, often traditional poem or song for children. It usually has strong rhythm, simple vocabulary, and repeated sounds to make it easy to learn and recite.

How can I analyse a nursery rhyme for English?

Treat a nursery rhyme like a poem. Comment on rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and imagery, then link these features to any themes, emotions, or possible historical references in the verse.

Do nursery rhymes always have hidden meanings?

Some nursery rhymes may reflect historical events or social issues, but others are mainly playful. There is often more than one interpretation, so exam answers should be well supported by evidence.

Try These Related Quizzes

According to the nursery rhyme, who was quite contrary?

[ ]	Bobby Shaftoe
[ ]	Jill
[ ]	Mary
[ ]	The farmer's wife

Which nursery rhyme subject was unsuccesfully helped by the monarch's horses?

[ ]	Cock Robin
[ ]	Humpty Dumpty
[ ]	London Bridge
[ ]	Tom Thumb

In which year was the earliest known collection of nursery rhymes published?

[ ]	1694
[ ]	1744
[ ]	1794
[ ]	1844

In which garment did Wee Willie Winkie travel the streets?

[ ]	Coat So Grey
[ ]	Nightgown
[ ]	Silk shirt
[ ]	Woollen jumper

For what did Old Mother Hubbard go to the cupboard?

[ ]	Bone
[ ]	Bread
[ ]	Meat
[ ]	Water

Which event is the rhyme Ring a Ring o' Roses said to denote?

[ ]	The English Civil War
[ ]	The Great Fire of London
[ ]	The Great Plague
[ ]	The Hundred Years War

When was Mother Goose's Melody or Sonnets For The Cradle published?

[ ]	1761
[ ]	1781
[ ]	1801
[ ]	1821

Sing A Song Of Sixpence referred to how many dozen blackbirds?

[ ]	1
[ ]	2
[ ]	3
[ ]	4

In the rhyme Ding Dong Dell, who or what was in the well?

[ ]	Baby
[ ]	Doggy
[ ]	Pussy
[ ]	Tommy

10.

In which part of England did Little Jack Horner allegedly live?

[ ]	Cumberland
[ ]	Nottinghamshire
[ ]	Somerset
[ ]	Yorkshire

Books Quiz - Nursery Rhymes (Answers)

According to the nursery rhyme, who was quite contrary?

[ ]	Bobby Shaftoe
[ ]	Jill
[x]	Mary
[ ]	The farmer's wife

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary - how does your garden grow?"

Which nursery rhyme subject was unsuccesfully helped by the monarch's horses?

[ ]	Cock Robin
[x]	Humpty Dumpty
[ ]	London Bridge
[ ]	Tom Thumb

"All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again"

In which year was the earliest known collection of nursery rhymes published?

[ ]	1694
[x]	1744
[ ]	1794
[ ]	1844

Tommy Thumb's (Pretty) Song Book was published in London in 1744

In which garment did Wee Willie Winkie travel the streets?

[ ]	Coat So Grey
[x]	Nightgown
[ ]	Silk shirt
[ ]	Woollen jumper

"Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs in his nightgown"

For what did Old Mother Hubbard go to the cupboard?

[x]	Bone
[ ]	Bread
[ ]	Meat
[ ]	Water

"To fetch her poor doggy a bone"

Which event is the rhyme Ring a Ring o' Roses said to denote?

[ ]	The English Civil War
[ ]	The Great Fire of London
[x]	The Great Plague
[ ]	The Hundred Years War

Most folklorists reject that theory for many reasons, most notably that it did not appear until the middle part of the 20th Century and that the symptoms of the Plague do not match those described in the rhyme

When was Mother Goose's Melody or Sonnets For The Cradle published?

[ ]	1761
[x]	1781
[ ]	1801
[ ]	1821

This influential work was published by John Newberry

Sing A Song Of Sixpence referred to how many dozen blackbirds?

[ ]	1
[x]	2
[ ]	3
[ ]	4

"Four and twenty" = 24 = 2 dozen