Now that we have reached September, fall isn’t far away. But before we turn our attention to the crunch of crisp autumn leaves underfoot, sharp north winds, and ripe orange pumpkins, let’s linger a bit longer and enjoy a poem that reminds us of the sun and warmth and playtime. Composed by Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Kidnapped, Treasure Island, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, “The Swing” reminds readers of one of childhood’s joys: swinging. It appeared in a collection of poetry called A Child’s Garden of Verses, penned for children and published in 1885 by Stevenson.
The Swing
By Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside—
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown—
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
We hope you enjoyed reading this poem. If you would like to find even more poems to share with your students, including more by Robert Louis Stevenson, check out Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization. This Suzuki-inspired course introduces students of all ages to classic poetry by a wide collection of poets and is sure to delight.
