there lived in London a girl there lived a girl in London是there be结构的变形。不用be而用其他动词,句子更生动。类似的: There stood a man under a tree.树下站着一个人。 There flows a river around our city.绕城流着一条河。
原句为倒装句 倒装的原因是:there是地点状语,地点状语放句首句子要半倒装,也就是要把谓语和主语的位置颠倒一下,也就是它的句子所写 there lived in London a girl called Polly Plummer. 类似的句子还有,There stands a mountain.一座山耸立在那里,正常语序也就是像你写的那样A mountain stands there.