Limericks
(8) There once was a pauper named Meg
(8) Who totally broke her left _______.
(5) She slipped on the ______.
(4) Not once, but thrice
(8) Take no pity on her, I __________.
Meter is the pattern of stressed (‘) and unstressed (-) syllables. In a limerick, it sounds/looks like this:
_ , _ _ , _ _ ,
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
Lines 1, 2, and 5 should have the same number of syllables. Lines 3 and 4 should have fewer syllables.
Line 1: 8-10 syllables
Line 2: 8-10 syllables
Line 3: 4-6 syllables
Line 4: 4-6 syllables
Line 5: 8-10 syllables
��da DUM da da DUM da da DUM�
da DUM da da DUM�
da da DUM da da DUM�
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM�
3/17/2015
Limericks are five line poems. Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with each other, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other. Complete the following limerick, using what you know of rhyme and meter, then write one of your own.