Its Origins
The rhyme originated in 1813 from John Harris’ book titled Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation. The book was developed as a way to highlight a variety of different tongue twisters that were difficult for readers to say or sing aloud. It is thought that John Harris developed Piper after Peter Poivre, who was a well-known examiner of spices for the Mauritian government. It was named a Roud Folk Song in 1945 and was incredibly popular during World War II as a means to calm children during bombings. Through the decades since it was introduced to the world, the rhyme continues to be one of the most well-known tongue twisters and songs for children of all ages.
How it Helps Kids
Many ESL teachers use the rhyme to help articulate words and phrases for kids who are learning the English language. Because it is considered a tongue twister, it is difficult to pronounce each work clearly the faster you say or sing the song. Because of this, a lot of teachers who are helping kids with speech impediments find the rhyme to help them speak more clearly and fluently. For younger children and toddlers, Peter’s rhyme helps them to form full sentences and pronounce words clearly. The rhyme gets your brain thinking, as you try to say each word while going as fast as you can. Because of this, it is thought that the song is ideal for early brain development of children, toddlers and even babies.
Notable Changes to the Rhyme
Throughout the two centuries that the rhyme has been popular, there haven’t been many variations to the song that are noteworthy. However, some children talk about different things that Peter could have picked, and sometimes the word pickled is replaced with prickly.
Other Information
Peter Piper, from the original rhyme, has been found in a variety of different movies, books and television shows along the way because of the popularity of the song. For example, Peter is a character in the Fables comics. Likewise, Peter was a character in the 1932 movie, After Tomorrow. Run D-M-C also created and developed a song called Piper that has a chorus of the actual rhyme. A pizza chain, popular in Mexico and Texas, carries the name of the rhyme as well.
Even to this day, the rhyme is incredibly popular with people of all ages. Whether it is being sung for learning purposes or just for fun, the rhyme is still one of the most perpetual to this day. In fact, many children’s books have been created specifically for this rhyme, and some of these books have different lines and phrases that the new author has created specifically to go along with the original version.