Poetry: Limerick Poetry

Contributed by:
Ivan
In this lesson, students will learn how to recognize the features of limerick poetry. A limerick is a form of verse, usually humorous and frequently rude, in five-line, predominantly anapestic trimeter with a strict rhyme scheme of AABBA.
1.
2. Aim
Aim
• To recognise the features of limerick poetry.
Success
Success Criteria
Criteria
• Statement 1 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
• adipiscing
I know that limericks usually start with set phrases;
elit.
• Statement 2
• I •know that a limerick has 5 very rhythmic lines;
Sub statement
• I know that certain lines should rhyme.
3. There once was a teacher in school,
Who thought, “I am nobody’s fool.”
She searched lovely Twinkl,
For resources to sprinkle,
And now her classroom looks so cool!
4. Limerick Examples
Limericks are light-hearted, funny poems with several common
Compare these two limericks.
There once was a young man from
Who always would hang from the
He couldn’t wear a hat,
But could hang like a bat,
And said, “What a wonderful feeling!”
There was an old Martian named Zed
With blue spots all over his head.
He sent out a lot
Of di-di-dash-dot-dot
But nobody knows what he said!
5. Limerick Features
What did you notice?
Lines 3 and 4 rhyme. Lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme.
There once was a young man from
Ealing,
Who always would hang from the
ceiling.
He couldn’t wear a hat,
But could hang like a bat,
And said, “What a wonderful feeling!”
6. Limerick Features
What did you notice?
Lines 3 and 4 are There once was a young man from Lines 1, 2 and 5
shorter, with the are longer and
same number of Ealing, have
syllables (5-6). Who always would hang from the approximately
the
ceiling. same number of
He couldn’t wear a hat, syllables (usually
8-10) in each.
But could hang like a bat,
And said, follow
Limericks “Whataatypical
wonderful feeling!”
rhythm:
di DUM di di DUM di di DUM dum (3
beats)
di DUM di di DUM di di DUM dum (3
beats)
di DUM di di DUM (2 beats)
di DUM di di DUM (2 beats)
di DUM di di DUM di di DUM dum (3
beats)
7. Limerick Features
What did you notice? First lines begin with
The second line gives typical phrases, like this
more details about the one.
subject.
There once was a young man from
Ealing,
Who always would hang from the
ceiling.
Lines 3 and 4
He couldn’t wear a hat,
give us some
action about But could hang like a bat,
the subject.
Thesaid,
And last line
“Whatis a wonderfulThe first line sets up the
feeling!”
the punchline, subject, so it usually ends
usually the with the name of a person
consequences of or place.
lines 3 and 4.
8. Your Turn
Can you complete this limerick
1. There once was a
from ,
2. Who .
3. He ,
4. And/but/then .
5. .
9. Plenary
What have we learned about
• Limericks usually start with set
phrases.
• They have 5 very rhythmic
lines.
• Lines 1, 2 and 5 must rhyme.
• Lines 3 and 4 must rhyme.
• The rhyming pattern is AABBA
10.