Assignment 5

ASSIGNMENT #5 LIMERICK

WRITE FIVE (5) LIMERICKS.

IN ONE OF THE LIMERICKS USE THE POETIC DEVICE ALLITERATION (DEFINITION IS ONE OF THE ANSWERS IN ASSIGNMENT #3 POETRY RESOURCES) AS SEEN IN A FLEA AND A FLY IN A FLUE BELOW.

A limerick is a five-line poem written with one couplet and one triplet. If a couplet is a two-line rhymed poem, then a triplet would be a three-line rhymed poem. The rhyme pattern is a a b b a with lines 1, 2 and 5 containing 3 beats and rhyming, and lines 3 and 4 having two beats and rhyming. Some people say that the limerick was invented by soldiers returning from France to the Irish town of Limerick in the 1700's.

Limericks are meant to be funny. They often contain hyperbole, onomatopoeia, idioms, puns, and other figurative devices (remember your poetic term sites?). The last line of a good limerick contains the PUNCH LINE or "heart of the joke." As you work with limericks, remember to have pun, I mean FUN! Say the following limericks out loud and clap to the rhythm.

A flea and a fly in a flue

Were caught, so what could they do?

Said the fly, "Let us flee."

"Let us fly," said the flea.

So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

-Anonymous

You will soon hear the distinctive beat pattern of all limericks. The rhythm is just as important in a limerick as the rhyme. Try completing this limerick.

There once was a pauper named Meg

Who accidentally broke her _______.

She slipped on the ______.

Not once, but thrice.

Take no pity on her, I __________.

How to write limerick poetry...

A limerick is a short form of poetry known for its humor. To write a limerick follow these simple steps....

First, read this sample limerick which demonstrates the syllabic and rhyme pattern:

There was a large lady from Perth

Who wanted to travel the earth

But her wish was in vain

For the door of the plane

Was not wide enough for her girth.

Note that the first, second and fifth lines each have eight syllables, and rhyme with each other, while the middle lines have only six syllables and a separate rhyme.

Now, to write your own limerick:

Begin by choosing a character and a place name.

Think of some words which rhyme with your place name. Because the limerick is meant to be humorous, your rhymes may be silly - for example:

Sydney; kidney; didn't he.

Use two of these words to end the first two lines of your limerick, which introduce your character:

There was a young man from Sydney

Who only would eat steak and kidney.

Next, think of a problem for your character, and present it in your two short lines:

When the kidney ran out,

Though he started to shout,

Finally, finish with a resolution (ending) to your limerick, which should make your reader laugh.

He had to go hungry, didn't he?

Try this process to write limericks of your own. You will also find there are other ways of beginning your limerick:

A man with a very large nose . . .

While traveling one day in Peru . . .

I was startled one day by a hen . . .

Despite these differences, the basic limerick pattern remains the same.

To help you get started, here's some helpful information about writing limericks. To begin, a limerick is a funny little poem containing five lines. The last words of the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other (A), and the last words of the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other (B). Here's an example (underneath is the rhythm pattern):

There was an old man from Peru, (A)

da DUM da da DUM da da DUM

who dreamed he was eating his shoe. (A)

da DUM da da DUM da da DUM

He awoke in the night (B)

da DUM da da DUM

with a terrible fright, (B)

da da DUM da da DUM

and found out that it was quite true. (A)

da DUM da da DUM da da DUM

When you write a limerick, make sure that it has the same AABBA rhyme pattern. And, make sure it also has the same Da DUM da da DUM da da DUM rhythm pattern, too. To make sure, recite the poem, substituting "da" for all unaccented or unstressed syllables and "DUM" for all accented or stressed syllables, as I have done above. If your poem doesn't have a similar rhythm pattern, then you need to make some adjustments.

Ideas for new limericks can come from almost anywhere. For example, your city, state, country, or name. If your name is Tim or Jim, you could write something like this:

A Clumsy Young Fellow Named Tim

A clumsy young fellow named Tim (A)

was never informed how to swim. (A)

He fell off a dock (B)

and sunk like a rock. (B)

And that was the end of him. (A)

Notice that the rhyme pattern (AABBA) and the rhythm pattern (da DUM da da DUM da da DUM) are almost identical to patterns in the "Man From Peru" limerick.

OK, now that you know how to write a limerick with the correct rhyme and rhythm pattern, get going!