What is rock a by baby about?

Answer 1

The poem tells about the black plague describing the death taking place all around them.

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There are a number of theories about the origins and meanings of the nursery rhyme Rock-a-bye Baby. It dates to around either 1500 or 1700. The wide date given gives you an idea of how little is known about the poem's origins.

The American version, is supposedly based on the observations of a young pilgrim who watched Native American mothers suspend their children in cradles from the branches of a low hanging tree

The British version is supposedly based on a family in Derbyshire, who lived in a big old Yew tree in the 1700's. The Kenyon family's house/tree still stands in Derbyshire.

The third theory is the tune is a political poem about the English Glorious Revolution. It's a political ditty, basically warning Catholic King James of the winds of political change. There were accusations he had a child smuggled into be his heir so the Catholic leadership would continue. Not sure if this story still has an credibility, but it still floats around.

I searched and could find no reference to the Black Plague or the Medieval period. The poem seems to have been written a couple hundred years after the Great Death.

Answer 2

"Rock-a-bye Baby" is a lullaby that is commonly sung to calm and soothe infants and young children. The song portrays a mother gently rocking her baby to sleep in a tree cradle, promising to keep the baby safe and secure. However, the meaning behind the lyrics is open to interpretation and may vary depending on cultural and personal perspectives.