“Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

“Monday’s Child” is a traditional nursery rhyme, first appeared in 1838 in A. E. Bray’s Traditions of Devonshire, and sung by parents and children alike to predict a child’s fortune based on the day of their birth. The rhyme assigns certain traits to children born on each day of the week, with Monday’s child being “fair of face” and others exhibiting various qualities such as being “full of grace” or “full of woe.” The main idea behind the rhyme is to offer a playful interpretation of character and destiny, with the day of the week symbolizing different personal traits or fates for children.

Text: “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

Monday’s child is fair of face
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

Annotations: “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

Line	Annotation
Monday’s child is fair of face	Children born on Monday are considered beautiful.
Tuesday’s child is full of grace	Children born on Tuesday are graceful and elegant.
Wednesday’s child is full of woe	Children born on Wednesday are believed to experience sadness.
Thursday’s child has far to go	Thursday’s children will travel far or face many challenges.
Friday’s child is loving and giving	Friday’s children are affectionate and generous in spirit.
Saturday’s child works hard for a living	Saturday’s children are diligent and hardworking.
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day	Those born on Sunday (the Sabbath) are thought to have a fortunate life.
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay	These children are described as cheerful, carefree, and good-natured.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

Device	Definition	Example	Explanation from the Poem
Alliteration	Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.	“fair of face”	The “f” sound is repeated in “fair” and “face.”
Anaphora	Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.	“Monday’s child… Tuesday’s child…”	The phrase “child is” is repeated at the beginning of each line.
Assonance	Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.	“fair of face”	The long “a” sound is repeated in “fair” and “face.”
Consonance	Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words.	“hard for a living”	The “r” sound is repeated in “hard” and “for.”
Enjambment	The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line.	“Saturday’s child works hard for a living, / But the child…”	The sentence flows from one line to the next without a pause.
End Rhyme	The repetition of similar sounds at the end of lines.	“face” and “grace”; “go” and “woe”	Words at the end of each line rhyme, providing a sense of rhythm.
Hyperbole	Exaggeration for emphasis or effect.	“full of woe”	The phrase “full of woe” is an exaggeration, implying the child experiences great sadness.
Imagery	Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.	“fair of face”	The phrase evokes a visual image of beauty.
Metaphor	A figure of speech comparing two things without using “like” or “as.”	“full of woe”	The child isn’t literally “full” of woe, but it metaphorically represents sadness.
Meter	A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.	The consistent rhythm throughout the poem.	The nursery rhyme follows a regular metrical pattern, which enhances its flow.
Personification	Giving human characteristics to non-human things.	“full of woe”	Woe is personified as something the child can be “full” of.
Polysyndeton	The deliberate use of multiple conjunctions in close succession.	“blithe and good and gay”	The repeated use of “and” emphasizes the qualities of the child born on Sunday.
Repetition	The repeated use of words or phrases for emphasis.	“child is” repeated in each line.	Emphasizes the attributes of children born on different days of the week.
Rhyme Scheme	The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines.	AABB, CCDD	The rhyme scheme follows a clear pattern, contributing to the rhythm of the poem.
Simile	A comparison using “like” or “as.”	Not present in this poem.	–
Symbolism	The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.	Days of the week represent different personality traits.	The days symbolize various attributes such as beauty, grace, or sadness.
Tone	The general attitude or mood of a piece of writing.	Optimistic, with some somber elements (e.g., “full of woe”).	The tone varies from cheerful to somber, reflecting different fates of children.
Wordplay	The witty or clever use of words to convey multiple meanings.	“fair of face”	“Fair” can mean both beautiful and pale-skinned, playing on dual meanings.

Themes: “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

1. Fate and Destiny: The central theme of the nursery rhyme is the idea that a child’s destiny is predetermined by the day of their birth. Each day is believed to endow children with specific characteristics, such as beauty for Monday’s child (“fair of face”) or sadness for Wednesday’s child (“full of woe”). This belief reflects a broader cultural fascination with fate, suggesting that individuals’ traits and life paths are shaped by forces beyond their control.
2. Personality Traits and Identity: The poem emphasizes the significance of personality traits associated with different days of the week, assigning each child distinct qualities. For example, Friday’s child is described as “loving and giving,” while Saturday’s child “works hard for a living.” These descriptions contribute to the notion that one’s identity is closely tied to their innate characteristics, possibly encouraging children to embrace or understand certain virtues depending on their day of birth.
3. Cultural and Social Expectations: Embedded within the poem are reflections of societal values and expectations. The positive traits such as grace (“Tuesday’s child is full of grace”) and diligence (“Saturday’s child works hard for a living”) are celebrated, which mirrors traditional values that prize beauty, kindness, and industriousness. Conversely, negative traits like sadness (“Wednesday’s child is full of woe”) imply that some characteristics are less desirable in society, shaping how individuals are perceived based on external factors.
4. Fortune and Luck: The nursery rhyme concludes on a note of fortune for those born on Sunday, or the Sabbath Day. These children are described as “bonny and blithe and good and gay,” suggesting that being born on this day brings good luck, happiness, and an easier life. This idea aligns with the belief that certain times or events are luckier than others, reinforcing the theme that external factors like birth time can influence a person’s fortune in life.

Literary Theories and “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

Literary Theory	Explanation	Reference from the Poem
Structuralism	Structuralism focuses on the underlying structures that shape meaning in texts, such as language, binary oppositions, and patterns. The structure of “Monday’s Child” is highly formulaic, with each line following a predictable pattern that links days of the week to specific traits, revealing an underlying system of categorization based on birth days.	The poem assigns binary characteristics like “fair of face” vs. “full of woe,” organizing traits based on the day of birth.
Cultural Materialism	This theory explores how cultural texts reflect, reinforce, or challenge societal values and ideologies. “Monday’s Child” reflects traditional societal values by assigning positive traits like grace and diligence to certain days while depicting others, like sadness (Wednesday’s child), in a less favorable light.	The rhyme reflects cultural values, rewarding traits like beauty (“fair of face”) and work ethic (“works hard for a living”).
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Based on the work of Freud, this theory examines the unconscious motivations of individuals and how they manifest in texts. The nursery rhyme could be interpreted as an expression of societal expectations placed on individuals based on arbitrary factors, such as the day of birth, potentially influencing a child’s psychological development.	The repeated associations between birth days and specific traits may create unconscious biases in children, shaping self-identity (e.g., “full of woe” for Wednesday).

Critical Questions about “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

• How does “Monday’s Child” reflect societal values and norms about beauty, grace, and work ethic?
• The rhyme assigns specific traits to children based on the day of their birth, reflecting societal values that prize beauty, kindness, and hard work. For instance, Monday’s child is described as “fair of face,” a clear emphasis on physical appearance, while Tuesday’s child is “full of grace,” associating the day with elegance and charm. These traits align with traditional gender norms, where beauty and grace are often valued, especially for women. Meanwhile, Saturday’s child is said to “work hard for a living,” a quality that resonates with the cultural value placed on industriousness and perseverance. The rhyme, in this way, mirrors the expectations placed on individuals to fulfill certain roles within society.
• Does the poem reinforce or challenge the idea of determinism in personal identity?
• “Monday’s Child” seems to reinforce a deterministic view of personal identity, suggesting that a child’s fate and personality are preordained by the day of their birth. The use of phrases like “full of woe” (Wednesday) or “loving and giving” (Friday) implies that these traits are inherent to those born on those days, with little room for change or personal agency. This deterministic framework suggests that individual lives are governed by factors beyond control, such as birth timing, rather than free will or personal growth. However, one could question whether these attributes truly dictate one’s life or if they serve as mere cultural myths.
• What impact might this rhyme have on children’s self-perception and development?
• The associations made in “Monday’s Child” between birth days and personality traits might influence how children view themselves and others, especially if they are consistently told they embody certain qualities based on the day of their birth. A child born on Wednesday, for example, might internalize the idea of being “full of woe,” potentially reinforcing negative self-perceptions. Conversely, a child born on Sunday (“bonny and blithe and good and gay”) might feel pressure to live up to these positive expectations. The rhyme can thus subtly shape a child’s self-identity, instilling a sense of predetermined character that could affect their self-esteem and outlook on life.
• How does the use of rhyme and rhythm in “Monday’s Child” affect its message and reception?
• The simple and consistent rhyme scheme (AABB, CCDD) and rhythm in “Monday’s Child” make it easy to remember and recite, especially for young children. This musicality reinforces the transmission of the poem’s ideas, embedding the connection between birth days and character traits in the minds of those who hear it. The light, sing-song quality of the rhyme can also mask the deeper, more serious implications of assigning fate based on birth days, making the poem feel playful rather than deterministic. The rhyme’s structure, therefore, plays a crucial role in how its message is received, especially by young audiences who might not fully understand the implications of its content.

Literary Works Similar to “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

1. “Solomon Grundy” by Anonymous
   This nursery rhyme also follows a structured pattern based on days, describing the life stages of Solomon Grundy as they correspond to the days of the week.
2. “The Days of the Week” by Anonymous
   Similar to “Monday’s Child,” this poem assigns activities or attributes to each day of the week, reinforcing the association of daily life with specific characteristics.
3. “The Months” by Sara Coleridge
   This poem assigns qualities and seasonal activities to each month of the year, echoing the way “Monday’s Child” links traits to specific days.
4. “This Is the Way the Ladies Ride” by Anonymous
   Like “Monday’s Child,” this nursery rhyme uses repetition and rhythm to describe different characteristics based on societal roles, focusing on various riding styles.
5. “A Wise Old Owl“ by Anonymous
   Although not directly related to days, this poem uses simple, rhythmic language and imparts moral characteristics, much like “Monday’s Child” associates personality traits with birth days.

Representative Quotations of “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Monday’s child is fair of face”	Refers to children born on Monday, associating them with beauty and appearance.	Structuralism: Highlights binary oppositions, linking days to traits (e.g., beauty vs. hardship).
“Wednesday’s child is full of woe”	Describes children born on Wednesday, implying a life filled with sadness.	Psychoanalytic Criticism: Could influence a child’s psychological self-concept, shaping their identity around sadness.
“Thursday’s child has far to go”	Suggests that Thursday’s children will face challenges or a long journey in life.	Post-structuralism: Challenges fixed meanings by implying open-ended futures for some children.
“Saturday’s child works hard for a living”	Implies that children born on Saturday are destined to be hardworking.	Marxist Criticism: Reflects societal expectations regarding labor and class, valuing hard work.
“But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day / Is bonny and blithe and good and gay”	Describes Sunday’s child as fortunate, happy, and carefree.	Cultural Materialism: Reinforces societal privileges associated with those born under special circumstances, such as the Sabbath.

Suggested Readings: “Monday’s Child”: Nursery Rhyme

1. Worthington, Mabel P. “Nursery Rhymes in Finnegans Wake.” The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 70, no. 275, 1957, pp. 37–48. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/536500. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
2. Abrahams, Roger D., and Lois Rankin, editors. “M.” Counting-Out Rhymes: A Dictionary, University of Texas Press, 1980, pp. 139–55. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7560/710573.19. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
3. SOBEL, MECHAL. “Naming the Inhabitants.” The World They Made Together: Black and White Values in Eighteenth-Century Virginia, Princeton University Press, 1987, pp. 154–64. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1h9dgmf.16. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
4. Bergen, Fanny D., and W. W. Newell. “Topics for Collection of Folk-Lore.” The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 4, no. 13, 1891, pp. 151–58. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/533933. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.