Who Killed Cock Robin?
(AKA The Dead and Burial of Cock Robin)

Visual Interpretations

Detailed Beauty in Death Friends arrive

They Fell Sighing and Sobbing To Cock Robin's grave

An Alternative Robin Inner city death

Copious Tears Friends in mourning

More Questions Than Answers Stark beauty in a death ritual

 

Textual/Historical Information

New Deal Mother Goose - The black and white caricatures in this book, illustrated by Will H. Chandlee, with their not-so-subtle references to FDR and the New Deal are often dense with the names of specific people and events in that administration.

The question, "Who killed Cock Robin?" appears to have become something of a rallying cry among environmentalists.

An essay about Rachel Carlson as part of the program notes of performance of Martin Wesley-Smith's choral work, "Who Killed Cock Robin?", devoted to environmental protest and awareness. http://www.shoalhaven.net.au/~mwsmith/cockrobin.html

Who Killed Cock Robin was the theme for this Earthday 2000. http://www.ecotopia.org/about/earthday2000.html

The asbestos risk is linked to "Who Killed Cock Robin?" http://www.gelmans.com/meso/hhdocs/pn974.htm

This website includes an essay which uses the rhyme to explore the reasons for the murders of Matt Shepard and others. The author refers to the O'Malley version as if it were the traditional rhyme. He does not cite his source.
http://members.iglou.com/gils/robin.htm

Versions and Variants

Textual Versions and Variants - A complete listing of the versions and variants of this rhyme

Visual Versions and Variants - A comparative listing of all associated within Eclipse

Rhyme Specific Bibliography

George, Jean Craighead. Who Really Killed Cock Robin? New York: Dutton, 1971.

Iles, Norman. Who Really Killed Cock Robin? : Nursery Rhymes and Carols Restored to Their Original Meanings. London : R. Hale, 1986.