What is a Limerick |
Process |
A limerick is a short and usually humourous five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm. The first, second and fifth lines are longer than the third and fourth lines. The rhyming pattern is AABBA. The longer A lines rhyme with each other and the shorter B lines rhyme with each other.
ExamplesMan from PeruThere once was a man from Peru
Who dreamt that he swallowed his shoe He woke up in fright In the mid of the night To learn that his dream has come true. Man from NantucketThere was an Old Man of Nantucket
Who kept all his cash in a bucket. His daughter, called Nan, Ran away with a man, And as for the bucket, Nantucket. Elephant SnoringAn elephant slept in his bunk,
And in slumber his chest rose and sunk. But he snored -- how he snored! The other beasts roared, So his wife tied a knot in his trunk. |
1. Come up with an idea
For instance, ‘What if we had wings?’ or ‘What if your pet could talk?’ 'Interesting event about a gardener' 2. Start writing the first line Writing the first line is pretty easy, as it should end with a subject. It could be a name, a place, or a thing. 3. Think of the rhyming words Find the rhyming words to the last word of your first line. You can use a dictionary of rhyming words to find the most appropriate words to go with the subject. 4. Follow the rhythm and tone Weave a story in the poem or make it funny, but make sure it follows the rhythmic scheme of AABBA. When making the poem, keep this beat in mind: da DUM da da DUM da da DUM da DUM da da DUM da da DUM da DUM da da DUM da DUM da da DUM da DUM da da DUM da da DUM A way to understand the beat is to clap your hands at each beat. Soft claps at "da" and louder claps at "DUM" |
Create your own
With pen/pencil or on your device, work on creating your own limerick. Focus on choosing an idea and a line you will rhyme with. Limericks are frequently humourous, and have a distinct beat. We will share what we have when we finish. You can use the above poems as inspiration.
You can write on any topic in limerick form.
You can write on any topic in limerick form.