Limericks
Limerick
A limerick is cleverly versed –
The second line rhymes with the first;
The third one is short,
The fourth’s the same sort,
And the last line is often the worst.
Maybe you know this really old
limerick?
Hickery, Dickery Dock
A mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse fell down
Hickery, Dickery Dock.
Limericks are often funny:
The school trip was a special occasion
But we never reached our destination
Instead of the Zoo
I was locked in the loo
On an M62 Service Station
Quite often they mention places:
A bald headed man from Dundee
Lost his wig, in a wind, in a tree;
When he looked up and spied it,
A hen was inside it,
And it laid him an egg for his tea.
And they often start “There was”:
There was a small dog from Dubai
Who wanted to know how to fly,
He ran round his yard,
And barked very hard,
And floated right up to the sky.
They’re quite easy to remember
(this is from a girl’s magazine
freebie in the 1980s):
My darling Ducky Wucky
Behind your ears is mucky.
But never mind
For love is blind,
My darling Ducky Wucky.
And they often
don’t make sense!
Rules for a Limerick:
5
lines long.
 Lines 1, 2 & 5 have 7-10
syllables and rhyme with each
other.
 Lines 3 & 4 have 5-7 syllables
and rhyme with each other.