Hidden Meanings
In some cases, a nursery rhyme might have actually served as a mode of political expression or social commentary. Nursery rhymes sometimes dealt with controversial subjects or carried hidden messages. In these instances, the nursery rhyme would have been designed for adults more than children, in eras when people did not feel comfortable or safe speaking freely. Some of these adult rhymes took the form of satire or mockery, as is the case with Yankee Doodle.