Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow

In this article, we will talk about a poem called “Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow”. It is a lyrical poem, more popularly considered as a nursery rhyme that is very very old. It is actually said to be 300 years old!! Most people believe that it was first written in 1650! Since then it has had a few revised versions but the original one still remains the most well known one. Today we will discuss briefly about the said poem and also state its lyrics.

Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow Lyrics

In this section, we will state the poem Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow :

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow,

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow,

Can you or I or anyone know

How do oats, peas, beans and barley grow?

First the farmer sows his seed,

Stands erect and takes his ease,

He stamps his foot and claps his hands,

And turns around to view his lands.

Next the farmer waters the seed,

Stands erect and takes his ease,

He stamps his foot and claps his hands,

And turns around to view his lands.

Next the farmer hoes the weeds,

Stands erect and takes his ease,

He stamps his foot and claps his hands,

And turns around to view his lands.

Last the farmer harvests his seed,

Stands erect and takes his ease,

He stamps his foot and claps his hands,

And turns around to view his lands.

A Farmer Watering the Seeds

Rhyming Words

Here we will talk about some rhyming words in the poem.

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow,

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow,

Can you or I or anyone know

How do oats, peas, beans and barley grow?

In the verse given above, the word which rhymes with peas is ‘beans’. Similarly, the word which rhymes with grow is ‘know’. 

Peas

Summary

The poem “Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow'' is a lyrical extremely old folk song for children, majorly well-known around America. It talks about the process of how oats, peas, beans, and barley are grown by farmers. It explains all the steps taken by a farmer to grow oats, peas, beans, and barley in each of the verses of the poem, stating it rhythmically using repetition of a few lines to make it more catchy.

Sample Questions

1. How many steps are involved in growing or producing peas, beans, barley, and oats?

Ans: As the poem mentioned, the framer takes several steps in the process of growing beans, peas, barley, and oats. There are in total four steps that the verses of the poem describes, and these are as follows:

• Sowing the seeds

• Watering the seeds

• Removing the weeds

• Finally, harvesting the produce.

2. What is the first step in growing the peas, beans, oats, and barley?

Ans: As the poem states, in order to grow peas, beans, oats, and barley, the farmer first has to sow the respective seeds in his lands followed by waiting for them to grow. The poem mentions how first the farmer sowed the seeds, then stamp his legs on the land to bury the seeds under the soil of his land and then takes a look around his land where he has successfully sown many seeds in the same way.