Limerick...is it a real form of poetry? Should it be taken seriously? Read more to find out.
Limericks have received notoriously bad reputations in many poets and artists views. A few reasons being ; The content of a limerick is often humorous, and fiction, it is extremely short in writing, only five lines to it, and the history of limericks are looked down upon for reasons of who used them, and for what reasoning.
The History
It is shown that limericks can be dated as far back as the 14th century of English Poetry. They were used in nursery rhymes and poetry for children. Considering they were so short and rhyming, before long the sweet lines for children, were evolved into sexual, gaudy limericks for beggars and such. Around the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, limericks were often written by drunkards, which now shows the reasoning for such a downfallen look upon the poetry form.
The Actual form for a Limerick
Limericks consist of five anapestic lines.
Lines 1, 2, and 5 of Limericks have seven to ten syllables and rhyme with one another.
Lines 3 and 4 of Limericks have five to seven syllables and also rhyme with each other.
Here is a few Limericks I found
Written by: Edward Lear
There was an Old Person whose habits,
Induced him to feed upon rabbits;
When he'd eaten eighteen,
He turned perfectly green,
Upon which he relinquished those habits.
There was a Young Lady whose eyes,
Were unique as to colour and size;
When she opened them wide,
People all turned aside,
And started away in surprise.
I believe if written in a positive manner, Limericks can be wonderful fun and smiles could be brought about more often. Also it would be another way to challenge yourself while writing for a child.
Most information was found on the website:
http://www.poetry-online.org/limericks.htm
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