Hi Alan,
I am very much confused about the meaning of the following nursery rhyme:
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.
The literary meaning of the rhyme does not make any sense. I find it difficult to make my 4 years old son understand the meaning. I shall be grateful if you could kindly explain the inner meaning of the rhyme. Wishing all of you HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016,
Souba73
The meaning is steeped in history and there are some dark connotations (which is quite common for nursery rhymes)
rhymes.org.uk/mary_mary_quite_contrary.htm
whatdoeshistorysay.blogspot.co.u … -mary.html
Most first language English speakers don’t attempt to explain it. They just enjoy the rhythm and the rhyme and children would not normally be provided with the historical origins described in those links.
If any sort of an explanation is given to children, they are often told:
silver bells - bell shaped flowers in a white/silver hue.
cockle shells - possibly literally a cockle-shell border placed around the garden. Otherwise another nickname for a flower which has a closed petal look similar to a cockle shell.
pretty maids - again a nickname for a flower.
You have probably worked out that the 3rd and 4th lines are a response (by Mary) to the question asked by the speaker in the 1st and 2nd lines.
Hi Souba,
As Bev has already explained in the link above, the actual words have a horrific significance but you wouldn’t want to scare your small son. Best thing is for him to enjoy the sounds of the words and learn it by heart as we all did at that innocent age.
Hi Alan & Bev,
Thank you very much for your explanation and kind suggestion. I have always been the humble student of you.