Playing with Poetry: Writing Loopy Limericks

ASSIGNMENT OUTCOME: Students will be able to use precise words and phrases and relevant descriptive
details to convey a tone (the writer’s attitude toward the subject: humorous, serious, or ironic). Students will
also be able to maintain consistency in style while varying patterns (rhyme scheme and meter) for meaning and
audience interest by writing a limerick (Curriculum Standards: W.8.3.d and L.3.a).

A limerick is a humorous, five-lined verse that has a rhyme scheme aabba. The beat is strong
with a de-de-Dumm rhythm. Each line usually does the following:

Line ONE: introduce the main character and/or setting a

Line TWO: describe the character/idea introduced a

Line THREE: shorter line and should develop the conflict b

Line FOUR: shorter line and should develop the conflict b

Line FIVE: tell a surprising conclusion a

Your Task: Apply the elements of a limerick as you write TWO of your own. You may want
to include a colorful illustration for both.

Helpful Tips:

1. First think of a character on who you will base your limerick.

2. Consider ways to exaggerate or tell a humorous story about this character.
3. End your lines with words that are simple to rhyme! (RESOURCE: rhymezone.com)
4. READ your limericks out loud as you write! Listen for the de-de-DUMM rhythm.

Example(s):

There once was a girl named Kate, a

Who was a soccer star in her state. a
Her leg took a hit, b
Which forced her to quit, b
Now soccer in college is no longer her fate. a
 Student Samples:

Katie wore braids upon her head

Through the day and even in bed
One day she swang
Upon a swing
Snap! Her braids were gone, what a dread
Once there was a newborn deer,
Who was known to be rather queer.
Wobbled when walked,
Squeaked when talked,
His mom always said, “What a dear!”
There once was a flower named Jo,
Each day she continues to grow.
One day it snowed,
Her growing slowed,
She got picked and lived in a bungalow.

I once saw giants who were tall,

Many loved to go to the mall.
But one was so fat,
And when down he sat,
He caused the whole building to fall!
Mr. Leblanc’s Examples

A track star named Betty Foster

Was the fastest girl on her team’s roster
When the season was done
She liked to have fun
And ate junk food like Cookie Monster

Honestly, here I just wanted to see if I could rhyme “Cookie Monster” with something, so I started with that. I thought
of words that rhymed with “monster” and I came up with “roster” which is basically a list for a group or a team. I ran
cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track when I was in high school, so I started thinking about someone who ran a
lot just because they wanted to burn all the calories from the junk food that they ate. Now my final product is a little
different than what I just described. It was more about someone eating junk food AFTER the season, but that’s how I
developed my limerick.

My schedule used to be packed

Lately it’s been more relaxed.
I work and have fun,
So when the quarantine’s done
I’ll be really fat or really jacked.

Well, uh, yeah. The last line is something that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, so I just started with that
line and I kind of worked backwards. I thought of words that rhymed with “jacked”. When I found “Relaxed” I
worked to find something else. I came up with the relaxed/packed thing which represents how I feel about my
schedule right now where sometimes I’m swamped, and sometimes I’m really enjoying life and easygoing.
Once I came up with those three words (packed, relaxed, jacked) I fit them together. The middle two lines
needed to somehow lead up to the quarantine ending. I played with words like “ended” or “finished”, but it
was harder to come up with stuff that rhymes for those words. On the other hand “done” gave me a lot to
work with, so I was able to rhyme it with “fun”. That helped me craft this limerick.

Okay, you guys don’t have to write the reflections like I’ve written here. I don’t expect you to. All you have to
do is write two limericks. I just wrote those things because I wanted to sort of walk you through my own
process.

I’m leaving the next page blank if you want to write your limericks there. Reach out if you have any questions.