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Limericks

Like Your Limericks
What are they, or what is it? A limerick is simply another type of poetry, mostly humorous and meant to be funny, though it can have the same emotional effects on an individual as would other serious forms. A limerick is a five line poem. Now that you've got that, the rest is simple mathematics in how to construct one. The five lines are composed of two sections; a couplet (or two lined rhymed poem), and a triplet (or three lined rhymed poem).
A bat and a flea in a flue,
Became caught, so what would they do?
Said the bat, "Let us flee."
"Let us flee," said the flea.
So the two flew through a large gap in the flue.
Earlier, I said that limericks were meant to be funny, considering that many often include such devices as a(n) hyperbole, onomatopoeia, idiom, and or a pun. Remember that like metered poetry, limericks have a distinctive beat pattern to them, helping in their construction. Remember that the last line of the poem is considered the "punchline" of the limerick, as if it were a joke, and being that they are often written humorously, they are a form of jokes. Now, here's a an example that needs completing for you to try yourself.
There once was a kind bird named Kat,
Who accidentally cracked her _______.
She tripped over the ______.
Not once, but thrice,
Please take pity on Kat, I __________.
However, not all limericks are meant to be funny, and some which you will come across will share the 5 line rule and the couplet/triplet relationship, but will be poetic, rather than comedically entertaining.
There's a world of wonder inside us all,
A place which is larger than a great hall;
Find it and see,
Explore it and be free,
There's a world of wonder waiting for your call.
There it is! You know about limericks! Some authors of limericks believe that the limerick was created by soldiers coming home from France to their Irish town of Limerick in the 1700's. Others believe the roots are not traceable. Either way, limericks can be a brain teaser for the individual and fun for others.

Submitted: 03.13.04
Written by Riker1

Online examples of limericks:
Looney Limericks
Poetic Limericks