Why do people like limericks

Since The Saturday Evening Post is a family magazine, please refrain from mentally conjuring or, more importantly, commenting on the more vulgar version of this classic limerick:. There once was a man from Nantucket Who kept all his cash in a bucket. But his daughter, named Nan, Ran away with a man And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

Although the number of syllables contained in each line varies from one limerick to another, a good guideline is to have syllables in lines 1, 2, and 5, and syllables in lines 3 and 4.

Above all else, though, the lengths should be consistent among rhyming lines. Limericks generally use an anapestic metric foot , which is the snooty-English-teacher way of saying it uses a repeating rhythm of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.

In a limerick, the first, second, and fifth lines each hold three stressed syllables, and the third and fourth lines each contain two stressed syllables. Clear as mud? Notice which syllables have harder beats than the rest:. This consistency, along with the rhyme scheme, is what holds a good limerick together. The final and loosest rule of limerick writing is its silly subject matter.

Humor and wordplay almost always work their way into a good limerick. So who made themselves the Kings and Queens of Poetry and invented all these rules? The name limerick was first formally recorded as the name of the five-line poem just two years before the beginning of the 20th century, when it appeared in the New English Dictionary. But the format itself is much older. Edward Lear is often, and incorrectly, called the father of the limerick for his appropriately titled collection of illustrated short poems, A B ook of Nonsense.

Undoubtedly, Lear was essential in popularizing the form. However, the actual invention of the limerick lies yet further back in time.

These merrymakers were known to improvise limericks as a sporting event in the form of poetic insults. An Empty Wound Ten years passing, the loss of another The father of two myself and my brother I barely can register The poignant expenditure I honestly think I might never recover.

Sadness, I believe, is not a feeling to escape, but an emotion to experience. Expressing such gloom in something as cheerful as a limerick is a sign of sincere affirmation. Far be it from me to put an end to dirty limericks. But I also know that the neocortex is the largest erogenous zone in the human body. The Way of the White Whale The whale is a fish and a mammal in one As white has all colors and also has none The grandest of creatures With paradox features Unknown and untouched by the light of the sun.

If you liked these serious limericks, feel free to let me know in the comments. And please consider sharing the article and subscribing to the blog. You might also enjoy:. Your email address will not be published. Evergreen Limericks about Gardening. Limericks about Politics in America. Show all. Serious Limericks: There once was an unsmiling rhymer. Partial Eclipse of the Heart Spirit today is confined behind fences Occluded by science obstructing our senses A matter of treason For overmuch reason Conforming to only the concrete consensus Even the title of my website is meant to reinforce this element of cognitive dissonance.

Metaphysical limericks What I really like about serious limerick writing is the way this whimsical form is able to maintain the levity. Ride of your life You exit this world as you enter: alone Charging ahead on a path of your own Single but bound To the world all around A party of one on a little blue stone Here we have a five-line nugget dealing with loneliness, mortality and impermanence.

Being and Nothing Some things are different and others are not Separate or one with the whole cosmic lot But the Being supreme Is a bit like a dream Where something and nothing are tied in a knot As far as illustrating metaphysical paradoxes goes, this is one of my favorites. Related posts. His limericks often consisted of stories about an old man:.

There was a Young Lady of Dorking, Who bought a large bonnet for walking; But its colour and size, So bedazzled her eyes, That she very soon went back to Dorking. There was a Young Person of Crete, Whose toilette was far from complete; She dressed in a sack, Spickle-speckled with black, That ombliferous person of Crete. The limerick is a classic verse form in English. The earliest known example comes from the 11th century!

In that time, there has been more than enough opportunity to pen a few classics. Here follows some examples of limericks from famous authors:. Did you know that James Joyce or Salman Rushdie had written limericks? It's surprising just how many famed writers have turned to this nonsense poetry form, as you can see from this further list of classic limericks from famous authors. The wonderful thing about limericks is that anyone can write them.

The simple rhythm and form are ideal for anyone inclined to write something silly. For instance, Ron Rubin, expert versifier and jazz musician , wrote this one:. There was an old drunkard of Devon, Who died and ascended to Heaven; But he cried: 'This is Hades- There are no naughty ladies, And the pubs are all shut by eleven. There was a young lady of Lynn, Who was so uncommonly thin That when she essayed To drink lemonade She slipped through the straw and fell in.

There were many who thought themselves smarter. Ogden Nash There was a young lady called Harris That nothing could ever embarrass Till the bath salts, one day In the tub where she lay Turned out to be Plaster of Paris. Spike Milligan Daddy how does an elephant feel When he swallows a piece of steel? Does he get drunk And fall on his trunk Or roll down the road like a wheel?

To comment you must now be an Irish Times subscriber. Please subscribe to sign in to comment. Please update your payment details to keep enjoying your Irish Times subscription. Is the limerick a Limerick invention? Matthew Potter, curator of Limerick Museum, on the curious history of the verse form Fri, Aug 25, , Matthew Potter. A plaque celebrating the limerick on the wall of the White House pub in Limerick.

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