Limerick

February Poetry

A limerick is a silly poem with five lines. They are often funny or nonsensical. All of the limericks on our site are family friendly (G-rated).

How to write a limerick:
The first, second and fifth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 8 or 9). The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 5 or 6). Limericks often start with the line "There once was a..." or "There was a..." Example of an 8,8,5,5,8 syllable limerick: **Generally it works well to follow this pattern.** **Line 1** **:** **Tell who it is you are talking about and where he is from** **Line 2: Tell something about the person or describe him in some way** **Line 3 & 4: Build up or demonstrate whatever peculiarity you have mentioned in line 2** **Line 5: Round off the Limerick with an unexpected and funny conclusion, based on whatever you talked about in the first four lines.** There once was a clover named Kate , Who sat on the edge of a plate , The fancy folk dined , On foods of all kind. Then tossed her at quarter past eight.

There was a Young Lady of Portugal, Whose ideas were excessively nautical She climbed up a tree, To examine the sea, But declared she would never leave Portugal

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!'

[|Patterns Limericks] [|Limerick originated]