Limerick

a funny five-line poem with a rhyme scheme AABBA, with each line having a specific number
of 5-8 words.
6 Defining Characteristics of a Limerick

Limericks all follow the same structure and pattern which sets them apart from other poetic
forms and makes them easily identifiable.
 A limerick consists of five lines arranged in one stanza.
 The first line, second line, and fifth lines end in rhyming words.
 The third and fourth lines must rhyme.
 Rhyming a Limerick:
The rhyme scheme of a limerick is known as “AABBA.” This is because the last words in
lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme. Those are the “A’s” in the rhyme scheme. The “B’s” are the last
words of lines 3 and 4. Let me give you an example:

There was a young fellow named Hall

Who fell in the spring in the fall.
‘Twould have been a sad thing
Had he died in the spring,
But he didn’t—he died in the fall.
 Remember to end with a “.”, and use other punctuations wherever require.
6 Tips for Writing Limericks

 Tell a story: When you write a limerick, approach it like a very short story, complete with
a main character, plot, and resolution.
 Start with your subject: You need to establish the subject without giving the story’s
intentions away.
 Make it absurd: Limericks are meant to be nonsensical and silly. After you’ve introduced
your main character, put them in an absurd scenario to improve the humor.
 End with a twist: The last line of a limerick is like the punch line of a joke. End your
limericks with a plot twist.
Step-wise Limerick Writing
 There once was a man on the run
-The first line of limerick needs to establish the subject without giving the story’s intentions
away. This line sets up a fast journey (he’s running, not walking). It also leads to a few quick
questions: Why? Where to? Who is he? Questions like these should spring from the first line of a
limerick, opening the floodgates to the poem.
 Who lost his mind in the sun
- The second line defines the subject, or the consequences of a past action the subject took.
Again, it is important to give the reader (or listener) this information to set up the action of the
poem. The relationship between the first and second lines is made even stronger by the rhyme
scheme.
 He ran down the street
No brains lead his feet
- The next two lines explain the action taken by the subject, which are the guts of the limerick.
 And never had so much fun.
- The closing line comes as the punch line. You can use wordplay, a surprise twist or a tongue
twister. If you follow Edward Lear’s model of nonsense verse, his term for a limerick, the last
line can be anything you’d like.
 Some Examples Of Limericks
 An ambitious young fellow named Matt
Tried to parachute using his hat.
Folks below looked so small
As he started to fall,
Then got bigger and bigger and SPLAT!
 A circus performer named Brian
Once smiled as he rode on a lion.
They came back from the ride,
But with Brian inside,
And the smile on the face of the lion.
 There once was a wonderful star
Who thought she would go very far
Until she fell down
And looked like a clown
She knew she would never go far.
 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.”
 There once was a baby named Lou
And he grew and he grew and he grew
And he grew and he grew
And he grew and he grew,
But he stopped when he reached six foot two.
 There once was a jumping monkey
And jumping he would always be
He fell off a cliff
Because he was stiff
Now jumping he will never be
 There once was a very sad daddy,
Whose golf game was going quite badly.
He looked left and right --
No ball was in sight.
I think that he needed a caddy!
 There once was a shamrock named Pat,
Who tripped on a root and went splat,
    She ripped her best leaf,
    And sobbed in her grief,
And ruined her favorite hat.
Links to more limericks

 https://www.rd.com/list/limericks-for-kid  FOR EASY LEARNING:

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/ https://www.poetry4kids.com/lessons/how-t
o-write-a-limerick
 https://www.momjunction.com/articles/li /
mericks-for-kids-poems-examples_0063
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 https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/1916845
27868163919
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