Today is National Limerick Day! You’ve probably heard limericks all your life, but may have been unaware of what they were.
A limerick is a silly poem that always has five lines. They are often funny or nonsensical.
Limericks were made famous by Edward Lear, a famous author who wrote the Book of Nonsense, an entire book of silly limericks in 1846. We celebrate Limerick Day May 12th each year in honor of his birthday!
Limericks follow a special rhyming pattern, aabba.
The 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines all end with a sound that rhymes with each other.
The 3rd and 4th lines rhyme each other with a different sound than the other lines.
Limericks often start with the line “There once was a…” or “There was a…” and follow also follow a syllable count structure:
So break out your imagination, grab something to write with and let’s create some limericks!
Don’t forget to share your limericks with us!
