Mother's Day Poem for Kids to Recite
Selected Poems
Family PoemsDame Duck's Lessons to Her Ducklings
Old Mother Duck has hatched a brood
Of ducklings, small and callow:
Their little wings are short, their down
Is mottled grey and yellow.
There is a quiet little stream,
That runs into the moat,
Where tall green sedges spread their leaves,
And water-lilies float.
Close by the margin of the brook
The old Duck made her nest,
Of straw, and leaves, and withered grass,
And down from her own breast.
And there she sat for four long weeks,
In rainy days and fine,
Until the Ducklings all came out—
Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
One peeped out from beneath her wing,
One scrambled on her back:
“That’s very rude,” said old Dame Duck,
“Get off! quack, quack, quack, quack!”
“‘T is close,” said Dame Duck, shoving out
The egg-shells with her bill,
“Besides, it never suits young ducks
To keep them sitting still.”
So, rising from her nest, she said,
“Now, children, look at me:
A well-bred duck should waddle so,
From side to side—d’ye see?”
“Yes,” said the little ones, and then
She went on to explain:
“A well-bred duck turns in its toes
As I do—try again.”
“Yes,” said the Ducklings, waddling on.
“That’s better,” said their mother;
“But well-bred ducks walk in a row,
Straight—one behind another.”
“Yes,” said the little Ducks again,
All waddling in a row:
“Now to the pond,” said old Dame Duck—
Splash, splash! and in they go.
“Let me swim first,” said old Dame Duck,
“To this side, now to that;
There, snap at those great brown-winged flies,
They make young ducklings fat.
“Now when you reach the poultry-yard,
The hen-wife, Molly Head,
Will feed you, with the other fowls,
On bran and mashed-up bread;
“The hens will peck and fight, but mind,
I hope that all of you
Will gobble up the food as fast
As well-bred ducks should do.
“You’d better get into the dish,
Unless it is too small;
In that case, I should use my foot,
And overturn it all.”
The Ducklings did as they were bid,
And found the plan so good,
That, from that day, the other fowls
Got hardly any food.
Overview Short Summary
This poem presents Mother Duck teaching her ducklings how to waddle, swim, eat, and behave like “well-bred” ducks. The humor comes from her bossy lessons and the ducklings’ obedient mischief.
Card Idea Why It Works for Mother's Day
This is one of the best choices here for funny Mother’s Day poems for kids to recite. It turns motherhood into a comic lesson in walking, swimming, and feeding—things every child can understand.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Motherly teaching: Dame Duck guides her ducklings step by step.
- Family comedy: The little ducks follow instructions so well that they create a new problem.
- Growing up: The ducklings move from nest to pond to poultry-yard.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is playful, instructive, and comic. The mood is lively, making it suitable for classroom Mother’s Day performances or poems for elementary students.
Craft Literary Devices
- Dialogue: Dame Duck’s speech gives the poem a lively voice.
- Animal personification: Ducks are given human manners and lessons.
- Comic ending: The ducklings obey so well that the other fowls lose their food.
To My Mother
To-day’s your natal day;
Sweet flowers I bring:
Mother, accept, I pray
My offering.
And may you happy live,
And long us bless;
Receiving as you give
Great happiness.
Overview Short Summary
Rossetti’s poem is a small birthday offering to her mother. Even though it is not comic, it works well as a sweet closing poem for a Mother’s Day card.
Card Idea Why It Works for Mother's Day
Readers searching for funny Mother’s Day poems often still want one short heartfelt option. This poem is brief, graceful, and easy to copy into a card after a funny message.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is respectful and affectionate. The mood is gentle, grateful, and celebratory.
Poetic Form Rhyme Scheme and Structure
The poem uses two short quatrains with a simple rhyme pattern. Its compact structure makes it especially useful for short Mother’s Day cards.
To My Mother
You too, my mother, read my rhymes
For love of unforgotten times,
And you may chance to hear once more
The little feet along the floor.
Overview Short Summary
Stevenson’s short poem imagines a mother reading her child’s rhymes and remembering the sound of little feet in the house.
Card Idea Why It Works for Mother's Day
This is a strong choice for a Mother’s Day poem from son or daughter because it connects a grown child’s words with a mother’s memories of childhood.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is tender and nostalgic. The mood is quiet and affectionate, making the poem suitable for a short card rather than a comic performance.
The Angel that Presided o'er My Birth
The Angel that presided o’er my birth
Said, “Little creature, form’d of Joy and Mirth,
“Go love without the help of any Thing on Earth.”
Overview Short Summary
Blake’s short poem imagines a birth blessed by joy, mirth, and love. It is not a joke poem, but its bright spirit fits a cheerful Mother’s Day message.
Card Idea Why It Works for Mother's Day
This poem can support keywords such as funny Mother’s Day poem short and sweet, because it offers a joyful ending for a card that begins with humor.
Craft Literary Devices
- Personification: An angel speaks over the child’s birth.
- Capitalization: “Joy” and “Mirth” are treated like living powers.
- Blessing image: The poem frames life as a call to love freely.
It's All I Have to Bring Today
It’s all I have to bring today—
This, and my heart beside—
This, and my heart, and all the fields—
And all the meadows wide—
Be sure you count—should I forget
Some one the sum could tell—
This, and my heart, and all the Bees
Which in the Clover dwell.
Overview Short Summary
Dickinson’s poem turns a small offering into something generous: the speaker brings the heart, fields, meadows, bees, and clover.
Card Idea Why It Works for Mother's Day
This poem is useful when a reader wants a Mother’s Day poem for a handmade card, especially if the gift is simple but sincere.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is humble and affectionate. The mood feels bright, springlike, and generous.
Literary Technique Imagery and Personification
The poem uses natural imagery—fields, meadows, bees, and clover—to make the speaker’s offering feel larger than a physical gift.
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