Happy Limerick Day!

May 12th is Limerick Day!

Why Celebrate?

Have you ever written a limerick? If you haven’t, you should try it out. I would argue that of all of the poem types, limericks are the most fun to write. And to read. What is a limerick – you may be asking yourself. Well, here are the (simplified) rules: there are five lines, the first two rhyme with the fifth, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other. Syllables come into play as well, but I find that is easier to understand when you take a look at a few limericks and clap along with the syllables.

Let me refresh your memory with an example:

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat:
They took some honey, and plenty of money, wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above, And sang to a small guitar,
“O lovely Kitty, O Kitty, my love, What a beautiful Kitty you are,
You are, You are! What a beautiful Kitty you are!”

But why is today Limerick Day? Today is the birthday of Edward Lear, who is also the author of the limerick example above. Lear, born in 1812, was the writer who made limericks popular through his book, Book of Nonsense. “Limericks” are named as such because they came from the city of Limerick in Ireland.

How to Celebrate

Write yourself a limerick, laddies and lassies! It’s easy, fun, and festive. Here, watch me go!

There once was a calico kitten
That was simply so cute, I was smitten.
But my other sweet cat,
filled with jealousy, sat
right on top of her, so she was bitten.

Okay okay maybe a stretch, but I can guarantee I had more fun writing it than you just did reading it. ?

Limerick of the Day

There was a young belle of old Natchez
Whose garments were always in patchez.
When comments arose
On the state of her clothes,
She replied, “When Ah itches, Ah scratchez.“
– Ogden Nash