Do you like poems?
That’s a big question—there are so many types. Some are complex while others are simple. Some rhyme and some don’t. Many are sad and others are light-hearted.
Whether you love poetry or not, there’s one type of poem everyone can enjoy: the limerick!
What’s a Limerick?
What’s a limerick?
A limerick is a five-line poem. Its rhyme scheme is AABBA. The first two lines (A) rhyme with each other, the next two lines (B) rhyme with each other, and the last line rhymes with the first two (A again).
The first line of a limerick introduces a person or place. The remaining lines describe a humorous or ridiculous situation:
A circus performer named Brian (A)
Once smiled as he rode on a lion. (A)
They came back from the ride, (B)
But with Brian inside, (B)
And a smile on the face of the lion. (A)
In case you missed it: The lion was smiling because he ate Brian!
The First Limericks
Limericks became popular in 1846 when Irish author Edward Lear published “A Book of Nonsense”. The book contained 72 limericks, such as:
There was a young lady whose chin (A)
Resembled the point of a pin. (A)
So she had it made sharp, (B)
And purchased a harp, (B)
And played several tunes with her chin. (A)
National Limerick Day
Why are we talking about these funny rhymes? Well, because May 12 is National Limerick Day! That date was chosen to honour Edward Lear’s birthday.
Need some ideas to celebrate?
Read some limericks
What better way to celebrate than to read some of Edward Lear’s limericks? The old style of English might make them hard to understand. Challenge yourself to figure them out!
If Edward Lear isn’t your style, a quick online search will bring up many other limericks. There are even websites that will create unique limericks for you.
Write some rhymes
Want to try writing your own limerick? Here are some prompts to get you started:
- There once was a man from Spain . . .
- A small dog that liked to bark . . .
- An old lady rode on a train . . .
- There once was a woman named Mary . . .
Celebrate Humour
Whatever you do on National Limerick Day, don’t forget to laugh!
Limerick Comprehension
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The reading was interesting and funny for me.
Thank you.
I’ve seen recently Limericks on Eddie Murphy’ film ! Just awesome 👏🏻
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