LIMERICK

This five-line rhyming poem is often silly, funny or bawdy. Limericks have a waltzing rhythm (anapestic) and a rhyme scheme of AABBA. The third and fourth lines are shorter with 5 or 6 syllables, while all other lines are around 8 or 9 syllables (but sometime up to 12).

Limericks were made popular by Nonsense Poet Edward Lear back in the 1870’s. The word Limerick is the name of a town and a county in Ireland, but there is no record to say that this poetic style originated there.

Limericks are traditionally about people or places, but there are plenty of ways to break the rules and still have a Limerick style.