Limerick — Definition, Form, and Examples
What is a limerick?
A limerick is a short, five-line poem that is always humorous and sometimes crude. The content of these poems is primarily trivial and rarely taken seriously. Overall, limericks focus on subject, narrative arc, absurdity, and a twist ending.
Subject: The first line of a limerick introduces a character and identifies or establishes a setting. While a character is required, including a setting is optional.
Narrative Arc: Although short, a limerick's objective is to tell a story. Despite its length, most incorporate a main character, conflict, and resolution.
Absurdity: Poets mean limericks to be somewhat ridiculous and foolish; therefore, the poem places the main character into a nonsensical predicament.
Twist Ending: The final line of the limerick act as the poem’s “punch line” that is seemingly unexpected.
The origin of limericks is not known but may refer to the county of Limerick in Ireland. The poetic form first appeared in publications in England in the 18th century. Edward Lear popularized the form of poetry with his Book of Nonsense, published in the 19th century.
Limericks often feature in children’s nursery rhymes, such as Mother Goose’s “Hickory Dickory Dock.”
Limerick form
Limericks adhere to a strict form that consists of a single stanza, five lines, an AABBA rhyme scheme, and an anapestic rhythm:
Stanza: Limericks consist of only a single stanza.
Lines: There are exactly five lines in a limerick.
Rhyme Scheme: The first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, and the third and fourth lines rhyme. Therefore, limericks have an AABBA rhyme scheme.
Rhythm: Limericks incorporate an anapestic rhythm, consisting of three syllables (two unstressed syllables followed by a third stressed syllable). The famous poem “The Night Before Christmas” follows an anapestic rhythm.
Anapestic rhythm is identified as da da DUM, where “da” is an unstressed syllable and “DUM” is a stressed syllable.
The first, second, and last lines in a limerick have three anapests, and the third and fourth lines have two anapests.
Consider the rhythm of the following limerick by Edward Lear:
| There was | an Old Man | with a beard |
| (da DUM | da da DUM | da da DUM) |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Who said, | "It is just | as I feared! |
| da DUM | da da DUM | da da DUM |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Two Owls | and a Hen, | |
| da DUM | da da DUM | |
| 1 | 2 | |
| Four Larks | and a Wren, | |
| da DUM | da da DUM | |
| 1 | 2 | |
| Have all | built their nests | in my beard!" |
| da DUM | da da DUM | da da DUM |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
Limerick examples
The following are some examples of limericks written by well-known poets/authors:
“There Was a Small Boy of Quebec” by Rudyard Kipling
There was a small boy of Quebec,
Who was buried in snow to his neck;
When they said. "Are you friz?"
He replied, "Yes, I is—
But we don't call this cold in Quebec."
“My Firm Belief Is, that Pizarro” by Aldous Huxley
My firm belief is, that Pizarro
Received education at Harrow -
This alone would suffice,
To account for his vice,
And his views superstitiously narrow.
“Langford Reed Saved the Limerick Verse” by George Bernard Shaw
Langford Reed saved the limerick verse,
From being taken away in a hearse.
He made it so clean
Now it's fit for a queen,
Re-established for better or worse.