Limerick

Limericks were made popular by Edward Lear, an English poet from the 1800’s. A typical limerick is usually 5 lines Lines 1, 2, and 3 rhyme at the ending word with each other and are 3 feet with 3 syllables. Lines 3 and 4 rhyme at the ending word with each other and are only 2 feet of three syllables Limericks are usually written with an Anapaest (ta ta TUM) meter but they can also be written with an Amphibrachic (ta TUM ta) meter Lines 1,2, and 5 have a silent accent at the end (4 accents per line) and line 3 and 4 combined have 4 accents. Accent example of first line: There once was a boy from the south

u/s/u/s/u/s (lines 1,2,5) u/s/u/s (lines 3,4) Form=AABBA

Limerick by Edward Lear: There was an Old Man with a beard, Who said, 'It is just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen, Four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!‘ My verse: There was a girl with a shoe Who said “I am so blue” Two socks and strings Such small things But she only has one shoe

Works Cited Buda., smashing that Person of. "Limericks." Famous Poetry Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.poetry-online.org/limericks.htm>. Graziosi, Marco. "Edward Lear Home Page." nonsenselit.org - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/>. Lansky, Bruce. "Funny poetry for children." Funny poetry for children. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass/limerickcontesthelp>.