I'm sure almost everyone in the English speaking world knows that the limerick is a kind of funny poem. The limerick hails back to Ireland and it is thought to have been around from the 14 century. It's a popular form, and many a funny limerick has been shared by friends over a drink or three!
This limerick is possible the most famous limerick of all, although I suspect the ending for this, the original, may differ from the one told in the pub.
There once was a man from Nantucket,
Who kept all of his cash in a bucket,
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.
(from http://www.limerick-and-limericks.org)
As you can see from this poem, the limerick has five lines, with lines 1, 2 and 5 having the same rhyme, and lines 3 and 4 rhyming.
The lines with the first rhyme have 3 beats, or stresses, each line, and the lines with the second rhyme have two beats per line.
So these are the rules for writing a limerick, they have 5 lines, they rhyme in a particular way, and they have a certain number of beats or stresses for each line.
Simple, isn't it? Why not think of someone or something you want to write a funny poem about, and get started!
The Society of Smiling Scribes will be holding their first meeting on 5 July at the Mallala Hotel, 1.30pm. We will be having a workshop on writing the limerick, and we will be having lots of fun! Come join us if you can! (bring pen and paper)
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