There once was a site on the Web Which caused readers nothing but dread. Along I came Now nothing’s the same. People view it and smile instead.
The limerick is a very structured 5 line poem. Originally, according to Wikipedia, limericks were a bit obscene, but that has changed with the times. The first, second and fifth lines, the longer lines, rhyme. The third and fourth shorter lines rhyme. (A-A-B-B-A)
Creating a limerick is not that hard. The first line usually introduces a person from a place, the third and forth lines have the comic twist and the last line a conclusion. An easy way to start is to make a list of words that rhyme after you set up the first line. For example, I had wanted to make a poem for my brother, Ted. I made a list of words rhyming with Ted:
Bed Instead Bread Led Red Fled Read Lead Fed Ned Dread Wed
And so on….I put down the first line:
There was a sweet guy named Ted…after that it practically wrote itself. Who would rather lead then be led Along came Patty Ted got a bit batty And now he follows instead.
This is a poem and limericks especially lend themselves to poetic license. One of the best poets to use this device was Dr. Seuss. In How the Grinch Stole Christmas he talks about how the Grinch was in Cindy Lou Who’s house and he was taking her things.
“And the Grinch very nimbly Stuffed all the presents one by one Up the chim-bly”
Of course the word is chimney. Many times I have my 2nd graders correct me…I simply tell them chimney doesn’t rhyme with nimbly!
Words-places especially-can be made up to rhyme, as with this limerick (author unknown):
There once was a girl from Devrizes Whose breasts were of 2 different sizes. One was small And of no use at all The other was quite large and won prizes.
Is Devrizes a place? Who knows but the syllable count and rhyme work!
The bottom line is - limericks are fun and easy to write. Try it and see!
"Devrizes" appears to have been a surname in Jolly Olde Europe, perhaps a royal pip ...
Kids love limericks, especially if the topic is a little bit profane. Limericks about farts or slime will send them into gales of giggles. You can hear kids spouting limericks they have made up themselves - on the schoolyards and on the streets. Great poetry from the old masters will get a ho-hum in the 3rd grade, but a limerick will light up their laugh-buttons. Thus - limericks are the best way to introduce poetic expression to children.
Thanks for putting up this limerick forum, Wendy. It's jolly
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Limericks and How They Work
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Posted - 08/18/2008 : 10:09:43 AM
