Limerick 

 
Limericks are short, funny poems that most likely originated in Ireland. 
Because of their rhymes and rhythm they are usually very easy to 
memorize.  
 
1. Limerick contains 5 lines. 
2. Lines 1, 2, and 5 all rhyme with each other. Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with 
each other. The rhyme scheme is AABBA. 
3. Limerick has a distinctive rhythm.  
4. Limericks are usually funny.  
5. The first line usually ends with the name of a person or a place. The 
last line usually is funny.  
6. The first two and the last lines have three “beats” in them while the 
third and fourth lines have two “beats”.  
 
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM 
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM 
da DUM da da DUM 
da DUM da da DUM 
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Examples of Limericks: 
 
 
There w ​ as​ an old ​man​ of Nan​tuck​et 
Who k ​ ept​ all his ​cash​ in a ​buck​et; 
But his d ​ augh​ter, named ​Nan​, 
Ran a​way​ with a m ​ an​, 
And ​as ​for the b ​ uck​et, Nan​tuck​et. 
 
 
There was an old man with a beard 
Who said, 'It is just as I feared, 
Two owls and a hen 
A lark and a wren 
Have all built their nests in my beard! 
 
 
Hickory, dickory, dock, 
The mouse ran up the clock, 
The clock struck one, 
And down he run, 
Hickory, dickory, dock.  
 
 
There was an old man from Peru 
Who dreamt he was eating his shoe. 
He awoke in a fright 
In the middle of the night 
And found it was perfectly true.