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There was an Old Person of Shields*,
Who frequented the valleys and fields;
All the mice and the cats,
And the snakes and the rats,
Followed after that person of Shields.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), limerick 11
*Shields: North Shields and South Shields are two towns of England that are separated by the River Tyne. Although no bridge connects the towns, a ferry boat service operates on the river between them.
Who frequented the valleys and fields;
All the mice and the cats,
And the snakes and the rats,
Followed after that person of Shields.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), limerick 11
*Shields: North Shields and South Shields are two towns of England that are separated by the River Tyne. Although no bridge connects the towns, a ferry boat service operates on the river between them.
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There was an Old Person of Ealing*,
Who was wholly devoid of good feeling;
He drove a small gig**,
With three Owls and a Pig,
Which distressed all the people of Ealing.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), limerick 76
*Ealing: A district in the London Borough of Ealing, of west London, England.
**gig: a light-weight two-wheeled horse-drawn open carriage with two large wheels.
Who was wholly devoid of good feeling;
He drove a small gig**,
With three Owls and a Pig,
Which distressed all the people of Ealing.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), limerick 76
*Ealing: A district in the London Borough of Ealing, of west London, England.
**gig: a light-weight two-wheeled horse-drawn open carriage with two large wheels.
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There was a Young Lady whose nose,
Continually prospers and grows;
When it grew out of sight,
She exclaimed in a fright,
“Oh, farewell to the end of my nose!”
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), limerick 75
Continually prospers and grows;
When it grew out of sight,
She exclaimed in a fright,
“Oh, farewell to the end of my nose!”
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), limerick 75
- Published on
There was an Old Person of Burton*,
Whose answers were rather uncertain;
When they said, “How d’ye do?”
He replied, “Who are you?”
That distressing Old Person of Burton.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 106
*Burton: Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town on the River Trent, in East Staffordshire, Staffordshire, England.
Whose answers were rather uncertain;
When they said, “How d’ye do?”
He replied, “Who are you?”
That distressing Old Person of Burton.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 106
*Burton: Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town on the River Trent, in East Staffordshire, Staffordshire, England.
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There was an Old Man who said, “Hush!
I perceive a young bird in this bush!”
When they said - “Is it small?”
He replied - “Not at all!
It is four times as big as the bush!”
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 80
I perceive a young bird in this bush!”
When they said - “Is it small?”
He replied - “Not at all!
It is four times as big as the bush!”
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 80
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There was an Old Man of Peru*,
Who never knew what he should do;
So he tore off his hair,
And behaved like a bear,
That intrinsic Old Man of Peru.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 20
*The Republic of Peru, also known simply as Peru, is a country in western South America.
Note: Edward Lear created two limericks with the same first line, There was an old man of Peru.
Who never knew what he should do;
So he tore off his hair,
And behaved like a bear,
That intrinsic Old Man of Peru.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 20
*The Republic of Peru, also known simply as Peru, is a country in western South America.
Note: Edward Lear created two limericks with the same first line, There was an old man of Peru.
- Published on
There was an Old Man of the West,
Who wore a pale plum-colored vest;
When they said, ‘Does it fit?’
He replied, ‘Not a bit!’
That uneasy Old Man of the West.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 28
Note: Edward Lear created two limericks with the same first line, There was an old man of the West.
Who wore a pale plum-colored vest;
When they said, ‘Does it fit?’
He replied, ‘Not a bit!’
That uneasy Old Man of the West.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 28
Note: Edward Lear created two limericks with the same first line, There was an old man of the West.
- Published on
There was a Young Lady whose nose,
Was so long that it reached to her toes;
So she hired an Old Lady,
Whose conduct was steady,
To carry that wonderful nose.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 41
Was so long that it reached to her toes;
So she hired an Old Lady,
Whose conduct was steady,
To carry that wonderful nose.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 41
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There was an Old Person of Bar,
Who passed all her life in a jar,
Which she painted pea-green,
To appear more serene,
That placid old person of Bar.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), limerick 94
Who passed all her life in a jar,
Which she painted pea-green,
To appear more serene,
That placid old person of Bar.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), limerick 94
- Published on
There was a Young Lady of Poole*,
Whose soup was excessively cool;
So she put it to boil,
By the aid of some oil,
That ingenious Young Lady of Poole.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 47
*Poole: A coastal town and seaport on England’s south coast.
Whose soup was excessively cool;
So she put it to boil,
By the aid of some oil,
That ingenious Young Lady of Poole.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 47
*Poole: A coastal town and seaport on England’s south coast.
