As I Was Going By Charing Cross

This classic nursery rhyme dates back to the 1840s when King Charles ruled the throne. It was composed in honour of the king to teach children how to behave and react when the king is around. It describes how a child reacted when he first saw the king on a black horse.

Old Nursery Rhymes From England

The classic nursery rhymes composed before and during the Victorian Era hold immense importance in terms of depicting age-old traditions. This rhyme is about a child who had never seen the king of England before. His pure reaction to witnessing the grandeur of King Charles on a black horse for the first time is beautifully depicted in this rhyme.

As I Was Going By Charing Cross Nursery Rhyme

Even though this rhyme was composed in the 1840s, it is still taught to nursery and kindergarten kids. This is a vintage rhyme that explains how a small child reacted when he first saw the king. He was riding a black horse with other royal subjects and the kid was fascinated.

As I Was Going By Charing Cross Poem Lyrics

As I was going by Charing Cross,

I saw a black man upon a black horse;

They told me it was King Charles the First;

Oh, dear! my heart was ready to burst!

 King Charles in Charing Cross

Meaning of As I Was Going By Charing Cross Rhyme

The kid was going to Charing Cross. When he crossed the busy location, he saw a royal man riding a horse with his fellow men. He was fascinated to see someone riding a black horse. He did not recognise him at first but was surprised to see someone from the royal family.

Later, he was informed that the man he saw in Charing Cross was King Charles. He was elated to know that the man he saw was the king. He heard stories about the king but did not see him before. This was the first time he saw the king riding a black horse.

In this poem, the king was depicted as a black man. The kid expressed that his heart was ready to burst. It is not clear whether the kid is a boy or a girl.

Importance of As I Was Going By Charing Cross

The rhyme holds immense importance in depicting the grandeur of the royal family back in the 1840s. Kids love to see the king and other royal subjects as it seemed to be similar to a fantasy story to them.

This rhyme also explains what the kid was doing in simple words. It explained where the kid was going. From the explanation, we can clearly understand that Charing Cross is a very important location in the city of London. It was the meeting point of six prime routes in the city.

A Kid From the Victorian Era in England

Tips for Parents

Parents should explain who King Charles is and why the kid was very happy to see the king. The kid was happy to see the king for the first time. He was riding a horse. Parents can make gestures and show pictures to make the rhyme more interesting.