Public-domain ebook
Lilliput Lyrics
by W. B. Rands
Language: en687 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Children & Young Adult Reading·Poetry
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #53030.
About this book
Lilliput Lyrics is a collection of whimsical verses aimed at children, compiled from William B. Rands’s assorted magazine contributions and the 1868 pamphlet Lilliput Levee. The editor’s note explains that the poems have been gathered, sometimes lightly revised, and organized into sections such as “Doll Poems,” “Little Ditties,” and “Nonsense Rhymes.” The opening piece, “Lilliput Levee,” thrusts the reader into a bustling miniature kingdom where youngsters overthrow adults, enact absurd laws, and celebrate chaotic revelry. The verses are peppered with playful instructions, mock‑official proclamations, and lively choruses that echo the book’s overall structure of short, rhymed sketches rather than a continuous narrative.
The voice is unmistakably Victorian in its exuberant, tongue‑in‑cheek diction, employing alliteration, invented words, and a singsong rhythm that mirrors the era’s popular nonsense poetry. Rands’s style is brisk and theatrical, inviting readers who enjoy the mischievous spirit of Lewis Carroll or Edward Lear. Young readers with a taste for lively rhyme, as well as adults who appreciate historical humor and the quirky charm of 19th‑century children’s verse, will find this anthology an entertaining foray into a fanciful, miniature world.
The opening · free to read
The Editor’s Note
The following verses have been selected from “Lilliput Levee,” 1868, and from W. B. Rands’ numerous contributions to magazines.[A] He wrote _under many signatures, never enumerated; but--with the generous assistance of his son, Mr. Paul W. Rands, and his publisher, Mr. Alexander Strahan--I have been able to identify and examine all his work. Three poems are included, by permission, from the reprint of “Lilliput Lectures,” which I lately edited for Mr. James Bowden. Messrs. Dalziel have allowed me to use one from “Hood’s Comic Annual.” All other rights belonged to Mr. Strahan, and have been transferred, with the full concurrence of Mr. P. W. Rands, to Mr. John Lane for this volume. Nothing has been included from “Innocent’s Island,” which we hope to reprint shortly with some of the “Lilliput Revels.”
These are poems for children, with whom Rands was always at his best, and have been chosen in remembrance of their tastes and understandings. As many of them are printed from magazines and never received the author’s final revision, I have occasionally edited the text, without scruple, by omitting weak lines or even altering a word._
R. B. J.
RAT-TAT! the postman knocks! This is the Lilliput letter-box. A penny for your thoughts, my dear! So said the Raven in Odin’s ear. Here comes a letter from Thing-a-my-Bob, A letter from Ruth, a letter from Rob. Rat-tat! the postman knocks! This is the Lilliput letter-box.
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