Shown is a view from above of Limerick, Ireland. It has not been definitively established that the form of poetry called the limerick originated here.
Waggy Shaggy Reggie
There once was a dog named Reggie
Who was both tremendous and shaggy.
He was quite fierce and grim
On the front end of him,
But his back end was friendly and waggy.
by Author Unknown
Seemingly, the limerick galloped out of nowhere and into our world in the early 1800’s, and has been galloping about ever since. The limerick is possibly the most prolific poetic form in the English language.
Why Is the Limerick So Popular?
Well, it’s partly the shape of the thing
That makes the old limerick swing -
Its accordion pleats
Full of light, airy beats
Take it up like a kite on the wing!
by Author Unknown
In Need of a Boat
In a castle that had a deep moat
Lived a chicken, a duck, and a goat.
They wanted to go out
And wander about
But what they needed was a boat.
by Author Unknown
A Young Angler
There was a young angler of Worthing,
Who dug up ten worms and a fur thing.
He said, “How I wish
Eleven fine fish
Would snap up these things I’m unearthing.”
by Author Unknown
Curds by the Whey
A cheese that was aged and gray
Was walking and talking one day.
Said the cheese, “Kindly note
My mama was a goat
And I’m made of curds by the whey.”
by Author Unknown
The two main points to keep in mind when writing a limerick are the number of syllables in each line and the rhyme pattern, or rhyme scheme.
Syllable Count for Traditional Five-Line Limerick Poems
- Line 1 has 7, 8, or 9 syllables*
- Line 2 has 7, 8, or 9 syllables
- Line 3 has 5 or 6 syllables
- Line 4 has 5 or 6 syllables
- Line 5 has 7, 8, or 9 syllables
*If the first line is 7 syllables, the second and fifth lines require the same meter, or 7 syllables each as well. If the third line has 5 syllables, the fourth line must have 5 syllables as well.
How to Write a Limerick
A limerick’s easy to write:
Five lines with a humorous bite,
And the first one must rhyme
With the last two each time,
While the middle two paired make it right.
by Author Unknown
Rhyme Scheme for Traditional Five-Line Limerick Poems
- Line 1 - A
- Line 2 - A
- Line 3 - B
- Line 4 - B
- Line 5 - A
The ‘A’ lines must rhyme with each other and the ‘B’ lines must rhyme with each other.
Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
And down he run
Hickory dickory dock.
by Author Unknown
Jeremy Hoff
A schoolboy named Jeremy Hoff
Found a little green man in his broth,
Who yelled, “Save me, don’t frown
I need help or I’ll drown” -
Then they both needed time to cool off.
by Graham Lester
An Old Man’s Addition
There was an Old Man who said, “Do
Tell me how I should add two and two?
I think more and more
That it makes about four -
But I fear that is almost too few.”
by Author Unknown
A canner exceedingly canny
One morning remarked to his granny,
“A canner can can
Anything that he can,
But a canner can’t can a can, can he?”
by Carolyn Wells (1862 - 1942)
Simply Sublime
This limerick’s simply sublime
And inspiring in meter and rhyme;
It expresses but naught
With intelligent thought
And to write it used acres of time.
by Author Unknown
Waggy Shaggy Reggie
There once was a dog named Reggie
Who was both tremendous and shaggy.
He was quite fierce and grim
On the front end of him,
But his back end was friendly and waggy.
by Author Unknown
Seemingly, the limerick galloped out of nowhere and into our world in the early 1800’s, and has been galloping about ever since. The limerick is possibly the most prolific poetic form in the English language.
Why Is the Limerick So Popular?
Well, it’s partly the shape of the thing
That makes the old limerick swing -
Its accordion pleats
Full of light, airy beats
Take it up like a kite on the wing!
by Author Unknown
In Need of a Boat
In a castle that had a deep moat
Lived a chicken, a duck, and a goat.
They wanted to go out
And wander about
But what they needed was a boat.
by Author Unknown
A Young Angler
There was a young angler of Worthing,
Who dug up ten worms and a fur thing.
He said, “How I wish
Eleven fine fish
Would snap up these things I’m unearthing.”
by Author Unknown
Curds by the Whey
A cheese that was aged and gray
Was walking and talking one day.
Said the cheese, “Kindly note
My mama was a goat
And I’m made of curds by the whey.”
by Author Unknown
The two main points to keep in mind when writing a limerick are the number of syllables in each line and the rhyme pattern, or rhyme scheme.
Syllable Count for Traditional Five-Line Limerick Poems
- Line 1 has 7, 8, or 9 syllables*
- Line 2 has 7, 8, or 9 syllables
- Line 3 has 5 or 6 syllables
- Line 4 has 5 or 6 syllables
- Line 5 has 7, 8, or 9 syllables
*If the first line is 7 syllables, the second and fifth lines require the same meter, or 7 syllables each as well. If the third line has 5 syllables, the fourth line must have 5 syllables as well.
How to Write a Limerick
A limerick’s easy to write:
Five lines with a humorous bite,
And the first one must rhyme
With the last two each time,
While the middle two paired make it right.
by Author Unknown
Rhyme Scheme for Traditional Five-Line Limerick Poems
- Line 1 - A
- Line 2 - A
- Line 3 - B
- Line 4 - B
- Line 5 - A
The ‘A’ lines must rhyme with each other and the ‘B’ lines must rhyme with each other.
Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
And down he run
Hickory dickory dock.
by Author Unknown
Jeremy Hoff
A schoolboy named Jeremy Hoff
Found a little green man in his broth,
Who yelled, “Save me, don’t frown
I need help or I’ll drown” -
Then they both needed time to cool off.
by Graham Lester
An Old Man’s Addition
There was an Old Man who said, “Do
Tell me how I should add two and two?
I think more and more
That it makes about four -
But I fear that is almost too few.”
by Author Unknown
A canner exceedingly canny
One morning remarked to his granny,
“A canner can can
Anything that he can,
But a canner can’t can a can, can he?”
by Carolyn Wells (1862 - 1942)
Simply Sublime
This limerick’s simply sublime
And inspiring in meter and rhyme;
It expresses but naught
With intelligent thought
And to write it used acres of time.
by Author Unknown
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, “It is just as I feared! -
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!”
by Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 1
Limerick Day, also known as Mr. Lear’s Limerick Day, is celebrated on 12 May of each year and commemorates the birthday of Edward Lear (1812 - 1888), who helped to popularize the form of poetry known as the limerick. Let’s all write a limerick in celebration!
Little Miss Muffet
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey,
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
by Author Unknown
Gherkins Pickled Perkins
There was a young lady named Perkins
Who had a great fondness for gherkins;
She went to a tea
And ate twenty-three
Which pickled her internal workin’s.
by Author Unknown
Slumbering Elephant
An elephant slept in his bunk,
And in slumber his chest rose and sunk,
But he snored - how he snored!
All the other beasts roared -
So his wife tied a knot in his trunk.
by Author Unknown
Old Man on a Hill
There was an Old Man on a hill,
Who never would pay his phone bill,
So they sent out the cops
And changed all his door locks,
That poor Old Man with a phone bill.
by David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966): “That Isn’t Even Funny”
Ferrets
Ferrets live by a code tried and true
From which humans can benefit, too.
Teach your sons and daughters
To do unto otters,
As otters would do unto you.
by Author Unknown
Limericks contain rhyme, rhythm, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, idioms, puns, and wittiness - that is enough to send a person running to find a dictionary!
A Thing
A thing with a horrible grin
And green, slimy stuff on its chin
Was crawling and creeping
While we were all sleeping -
I’m glad that it couldn’t get in.
by Author Unknown
Sean and Duck
There was a young man named Sean,
Who found a duck in a pond,
He fed it some bread,
And patted its head,
And the duck quacked all day long.
by David Hugh Beaumont: “That Isn’t Even Funny”
Sid Meets Shark
There once was a poor boy named Sid
Who thought he knew more than he did.
He thought that a shark
Would turn tail if you bark,
So he swam out to try it - poor kid!
by Author Unknown
There was a young man from Japan
Whose limericks never would scan.
When asked why this was,
He said: “’Tis because
I always try and put as many words in the last line as I possibly can.”
-Author Unknown
There once was a man from Peru
Whose limericks stopped at line two.
-Author Unknown
Smile!
No matter how grouchy you’re feeling,
You’ll find the smile more or less healing.
It grows in a wreath
All around the front teeth -
Thus preserving the face from congealing.
by Anthony Euwer
Mark’s Dark Humor
There once was a man named Mark,
Who lived alone near a park,
When the young folks walked by,
He would shout for a lark,
“People, you’re out after dark!”
by David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966): “That Isn’t Even Funny”
Traditionally, the third and fourth lines of limericks are indented a few spaces. Some limericks have titles and some do not.
Vicente of San Clemente
There was a man named Vicente,
Who lived in old San Clemente,
He sat on a wood bench,
With an adjustable wrench,
And fixed bikes in San Clemente.
by David Hugh Beaumont: “That Isn’t Even Funny”
How a Limerick Goes
A limerick’s rhythm, you see,
Goes, “riskety-tiskety-tee.”
So have a good time,
And remember to rhyme,
As you make it the best it can be.
by Author Unknown
Young Mallory
There was a young rustic named Mallory,
who drew but a very small salary.
When he went to the show,
his purse made him go
to a seat in the uppermost gallery.
by Author Unknown
Say “No, Thanks!” to Rude Limericks
Some limericks are unrefined,
Impolite and rude and unkind -
Nothing good they contain,
Showing only disdain -
Folks deserve a much nicer kind.
by David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
Opulent Ollie
One Saturday opulent* Ollie
Thought he’d go for a ride on the trolley;
But his pennies were few, -
He only had two, -
So he went and made mud-pies with Polly.
by Author Unknown
*opulent: affluent, rich, wealthy, fancy.
Whatever the Weather
Whether the weather be hot,
or whether the weather be not,
we’ll weather the weather,
whatever the weather,
whether we like it or not.
by Author Unknown
Old Mister King
“My ambition,” said Old Mister King,
“Is to live as a bird on the wing.”
Then he climbed up a steeple,
Which scared all the people,
So they caged him and taught him to sing.
by Graham Lester
This is MFOL! . . . your website for lively clean limericks and helpful instructions on how to write them.
Who said, “It is just as I feared! -
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!”
by Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 1
Limerick Day, also known as Mr. Lear’s Limerick Day, is celebrated on 12 May of each year and commemorates the birthday of Edward Lear (1812 - 1888), who helped to popularize the form of poetry known as the limerick. Let’s all write a limerick in celebration!
Little Miss Muffet
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey,
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
by Author Unknown
Gherkins Pickled Perkins
There was a young lady named Perkins
Who had a great fondness for gherkins;
She went to a tea
And ate twenty-three
Which pickled her internal workin’s.
by Author Unknown
Slumbering Elephant
An elephant slept in his bunk,
And in slumber his chest rose and sunk,
But he snored - how he snored!
All the other beasts roared -
So his wife tied a knot in his trunk.
by Author Unknown
Old Man on a Hill
There was an Old Man on a hill,
Who never would pay his phone bill,
So they sent out the cops
And changed all his door locks,
That poor Old Man with a phone bill.
by David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966): “That Isn’t Even Funny”
Ferrets
Ferrets live by a code tried and true
From which humans can benefit, too.
Teach your sons and daughters
To do unto otters,
As otters would do unto you.
by Author Unknown
Limericks contain rhyme, rhythm, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, idioms, puns, and wittiness - that is enough to send a person running to find a dictionary!
A Thing
A thing with a horrible grin
And green, slimy stuff on its chin
Was crawling and creeping
While we were all sleeping -
I’m glad that it couldn’t get in.
by Author Unknown
Sean and Duck
There was a young man named Sean,
Who found a duck in a pond,
He fed it some bread,
And patted its head,
And the duck quacked all day long.
by David Hugh Beaumont: “That Isn’t Even Funny”
Sid Meets Shark
There once was a poor boy named Sid
Who thought he knew more than he did.
He thought that a shark
Would turn tail if you bark,
So he swam out to try it - poor kid!
by Author Unknown
There was a young man from Japan
Whose limericks never would scan.
When asked why this was,
He said: “’Tis because
I always try and put as many words in the last line as I possibly can.”
-Author Unknown
There once was a man from Peru
Whose limericks stopped at line two.
-Author Unknown
Smile!
No matter how grouchy you’re feeling,
You’ll find the smile more or less healing.
It grows in a wreath
All around the front teeth -
Thus preserving the face from congealing.
by Anthony Euwer
Mark’s Dark Humor
There once was a man named Mark,
Who lived alone near a park,
When the young folks walked by,
He would shout for a lark,
“People, you’re out after dark!”
by David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966): “That Isn’t Even Funny”
Traditionally, the third and fourth lines of limericks are indented a few spaces. Some limericks have titles and some do not.
Vicente of San Clemente
There was a man named Vicente,
Who lived in old San Clemente,
He sat on a wood bench,
With an adjustable wrench,
And fixed bikes in San Clemente.
by David Hugh Beaumont: “That Isn’t Even Funny”
How a Limerick Goes
A limerick’s rhythm, you see,
Goes, “riskety-tiskety-tee.”
So have a good time,
And remember to rhyme,
As you make it the best it can be.
by Author Unknown
Young Mallory
There was a young rustic named Mallory,
who drew but a very small salary.
When he went to the show,
his purse made him go
to a seat in the uppermost gallery.
by Author Unknown
Say “No, Thanks!” to Rude Limericks
Some limericks are unrefined,
Impolite and rude and unkind -
Nothing good they contain,
Showing only disdain -
Folks deserve a much nicer kind.
by David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
Opulent Ollie
One Saturday opulent* Ollie
Thought he’d go for a ride on the trolley;
But his pennies were few, -
He only had two, -
So he went and made mud-pies with Polly.
by Author Unknown
*opulent: affluent, rich, wealthy, fancy.
Whatever the Weather
Whether the weather be hot,
or whether the weather be not,
we’ll weather the weather,
whatever the weather,
whether we like it or not.
by Author Unknown
Old Mister King
“My ambition,” said Old Mister King,
“Is to live as a bird on the wing.”
Then he climbed up a steeple,
Which scared all the people,
So they caged him and taught him to sing.
by Graham Lester
This is MFOL! . . . your website for lively clean limericks and helpful instructions on how to write them.
