After my review of An Alphabet trip to Limerick Zoo, I’ve been dying to write a limerick or two!
Rhyming is fun, even if there’s no sun. Day or night, I can teach you to write. Today’s selection is of the limerick perception. Come along and learn, please, just wait your turn.
OK, sorry, I couldn’t resist. I think you’ve figured out that we are going to write a limerick tonight.
A limerick is a fun form of poetry that contains five lines. It has a distinct rhythm and rhyme pattern. The last words of the first, second and fifth lines rhyme. And the last words or the third and fourth lines rhyme. The rhythm pattern is a little more complicated.
The typical rhythm of a limerick is like this:
bah-BAH bah-bah-BAH bah-bah-BAH (A)
bah-BAH bah-bah-BAH bah-bah-BAH (A)
bah-BAH bah-bah-BAH (B)
bah-BAH bah-bah-BAH (B)
bah-BAH bah-bah-BAH bah-bah-BAH (A)
The best way to explain how to write a limerick is to show you an example:
- There was an old man from Peru (A)
- Who dreamed he was eating his shoe (A)
- He awoke in the night (B)
- with a terrible fright (B)
- And found out that is was quite true. (A)
The easiest way to start is with this first line: There once was a ______ from _________
Here are two examples that Justin and I came up with:
- There once was a pig from Manhattan
- Whose hooves were adorned with satin
- He ran across the street
- on the tips of he feet
- Squealing and grunting in pig Latin.
- There once was a dog from Andover
- Whose friends all knew him as Rover
- When he pops a bubble
- He gets into trouble
- And then one day he got ran over.
Now it’s your turn! Make them fun, crazy, silly and strange. And please make sure you send me yours when you’re done.
Happy Writing.
For more information on writing limericks, Visit Funny Poetry for Children.
