Poetry: Limericks

Limerick:


A funny rhyming poem of five lines with the rhyming pattern aabba.
Lines 1,2 and 5 have the same rhythmic structure as each other using 7-10 syllables.
Lines 3 and 4 have the same rhythmic structure as each other using 5-7 syllables.

Examples:


There once was a hunter named Paul
Who strangled nine grizzlies one Fall.
Nine is such a good score,
So tried for one more
But he lost. Well, you can't win them all!



There was a young fellow who thought
Very little. But thought it a lot.
Then at long last he knew,
What he wanted to do,
But before he could start, he forgot.




Here is a very famous limerick. Notice both the rhyme and rhythm patterns.
1. There was an old man from Peru, (A)
    da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS)
2. who dreamed he was eating his shoe. (A)
    da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS)
3. He awoke in the night (B)
    da DUM da da DUM (2 DUMS)
4. with a terrible fright, (B)
    da da DUM da da DUM (2 DUMS)
5. and found out that it was quite true. (A)
    da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS)

From http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass/limerickcontesthelp.html

Room 3 will publish some of their Limericks in the coming days.