Introduction

Charles Causley’s poetry is filled with images of the sea and coastal life, with references to local legends and ballads of his hometown in the north of Cornwall, England. A frequent theme in Causley’s poetry is war and its aftermath. “Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience” is a tender poem written out of reflection of WWI & WWII and the fall from innocence to experience is its central theme. A dominant element in this unit of study is the big idea of the concept of time both literally and figuratively. Students will explore several ideas related to time, such as change over time, how time affects perspective, and how time impacts people’s motives.