- Published on
There was an Old Man of Peru*,
Who watched his wife making a stew;
But once by mistake,
In a stove she did bake,
That unfortunate Man of Peru.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 52
*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 watched his wife making a stew;
But once by mistake,
In a stove she did bake,
That unfortunate Man of Peru.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 52
*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 never could get any rest;
So they set him to spin,
On his nose and his chin,
Which cured that Old Man of the West.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 86
Note: Edward Lear created two limericks with the same first line, There was an old man of the West.
Who never could get any rest;
So they set him to spin,
On his nose and his chin,
Which cured that Old Man of the West.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 86
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 of Welling*,
Whose praise all the world was a-telling;
She played on the harp,
And caught several carp,
That accomplished Young Lady of Welling.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 95
*Welling: A town in South East London, England.
Whose praise all the world was a-telling;
She played on the harp,
And caught several carp,
That accomplished Young Lady of Welling.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 95
*Welling: A town in South East London, England.
- Published on
There was an Old Person of Fife*,
Who was greatly disgusted with life;
They sang him a ballad,
And fed him on salad,
Which cured that Old Person of Fife.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes,’ limerick 25
*Fife: A peninsula in east central Scotland, also known as the Kingdom of Fife. The word ‘peninsula’ is derived from the Latin phrase ‘paene insula,’ meaning ‘almost an island.’
Who was greatly disgusted with life;
They sang him a ballad,
And fed him on salad,
Which cured that Old Person of Fife.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes,’ limerick 25
*Fife: A peninsula in east central Scotland, also known as the Kingdom of Fife. The word ‘peninsula’ is derived from the Latin phrase ‘paene insula,’ meaning ‘almost an island.’
- Published on
There was an old person of Jodd*,
Whose ways were perplexing and odd;
She purchased a whistle, and sate** on a thistle,
And squeaked to the people of Jodd.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes,’ page 53
*Jodd: No known geographic area bears the name Jodd; however, the name is used for the Jodd Fair night market in Bangkok, Thailand, featuring foods and consumer goods.
**sate: archaic, or older form of the word that is no longer in standard usage, formerly used as the past tense of ‘sit.’ Sate as a past tense of ‘sit’ has been replaced by ‘sat’ in modern standard English.
Whose ways were perplexing and odd;
She purchased a whistle, and sate** on a thistle,
And squeaked to the people of Jodd.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes,’ page 53
*Jodd: No known geographic area bears the name Jodd; however, the name is used for the Jodd Fair night market in Bangkok, Thailand, featuring foods and consumer goods.
**sate: archaic, or older form of the word that is no longer in standard usage, formerly used as the past tense of ‘sit.’ Sate as a past tense of ‘sit’ has been replaced by ‘sat’ in modern standard English.
- Published on
There was an Old Person of Slough*,
Who danced at the end of a bough**;
But they said, “If you sneeze,
You might damage the trees,
You imprudent Old Person of Slough.”
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes,’ page 85, limerick 28
*Slough: A town in Berkshire, England, located in the Thames Valley.
**bough: a large main branch of a tree, supporting twigs, or smaller branches, that grow from it.
Who danced at the end of a bough**;
But they said, “If you sneeze,
You might damage the trees,
You imprudent Old Person of Slough.”
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes,’ page 85, limerick 28
*Slough: A town in Berkshire, England, located in the Thames Valley.
**bough: a large main branch of a tree, supporting twigs, or smaller branches, that grow from it.
- Published on
There was a Young Girl of Majorca*,
Whose aunt was a very fast walker;
She walked seventy miles,
And leaped fifteen stiles**,
Which astonished that Girl of Majorca.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 101
*Majorca, more commonly spelled as Mallorca, is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, and a part of Spain.
**Stile: A means of allowing people to go through barriers such as fences and walls, while preventing livestock such as sheep and cattle from passing through.
Whose aunt was a very fast walker;
She walked seventy miles,
And leaped fifteen stiles**,
Which astonished that Girl of Majorca.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 101
*Majorca, more commonly spelled as Mallorca, is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, and a part of Spain.
**Stile: A means of allowing people to go through barriers such as fences and walls, while preventing livestock such as sheep and cattle from passing through.
- Published on
There was a Young Person of Ayr*,
Whose head was remarkably square:
On the top, in fine weather, she wore a gold feather;
Which dazzled the people of Ayr.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Picture and Rhymes,’ page 175, limerick 73
*Ayr: A town formerly known as Inver Ayr, later shortened to Ayr, located on the southwest coast of Scotland. ‘Inver Ayr’ means ‘mouth of the Ayr,’ referring to the area’s River Ayr.
Whose head was remarkably square:
On the top, in fine weather, she wore a gold feather;
Which dazzled the people of Ayr.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense, Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, Etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Picture and Rhymes,’ page 175, limerick 73
*Ayr: A town formerly known as Inver Ayr, later shortened to Ayr, located on the southwest coast of Scotland. ‘Inver Ayr’ means ‘mouth of the Ayr,’ referring to the area’s River Ayr.
- Published on
There was a Young Lady of Russia,
Who screamed so that no one could hush her;
Her screams were extreme,
No one heard such a scream,
As was screamed by that Lady of Russia.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 91
Who screamed so that no one could hush her;
Her screams were extreme,
No one heard such a scream,
As was screamed by that Lady of Russia.
-Edward Lear: “A Book of Nonsense” (1846), limerick 91
- Published on
There was an Old Person of Putney*,
Whose food was roast spiders and chutney**,
Which he took with his tea,
Within sight of the sea,
That romantic old person of Putney.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes,’ page 81
*Putney is an area of the Borough of Wandsworth in southwest London, England.
**Chutney is a spicy condiment originating in India, combining ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, sugar, spices, and vinegar. Chutney is served with dishes such as meat, cheese, and rice.
Whose food was roast spiders and chutney**,
Which he took with his tea,
Within sight of the sea,
That romantic old person of Putney.
-Edward Lear: “More Nonsense Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc.” (1872), ‘One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes,’ page 81
*Putney is an area of the Borough of Wandsworth in southwest London, England.
**Chutney is a spicy condiment originating in India, combining ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, sugar, spices, and vinegar. Chutney is served with dishes such as meat, cheese, and rice.
