~———————————•§•———————————~

SESSION EIGHT
🍀 THE IRISH LIMERICK 🍀
Wednesday, December 17th, 2025

~———————————•§•———————————~

“THE LITERARILY NONSENSICAL LIMERICK”
Most limericks are comedic, some are downright crude, and nearly all are trivial in nature.
To me, what makes the Limerick so universally appealing is the combination of brevity, playfulness, and irreverent humor that captures our attention. Limericks are the embodiment of wit and wordplay, delivering clever punchlines and unexpected twists that leave us chuckling long after the verse has ended. They’re a reminder that poetry need not always be serious and solemn; it can be joyous, whimsical, and full of life.

“Limerick (in general)”
A Limerick is typically a humorous poem consisting of five lines.
The first, second, and fifth lines must have seven to ten syllables,
while rhyming and having the same verbal rhythm.
The third and fourth lines only have five to seven syllables,
and have to rhyme with each other, with the same rhythm.
The three forms of Limerick I teach are as follows:

“Limerick (English)”
A humorous poem of five lines with a rhyme scheme of a-a-b-b-a
Lines 1, 2, and 5 have a syllable-count of nine, while lines 3 and 4 have six-syllables each.

“Limerick (Free)”
The rhyme scheme of a Free Limerick is a-a-b-b-a, and there is no set meter or syllables.
A lines are iambic tetrameter and B lines are iambic trimeter.
Often times, the third and fourth lines are shorter than the other three.

“Limerick (Irish)”
Has five lines, with a syllable-count of 8/8/5/5/8, and a rhyme-scheme of a-a-b-b-a.

“BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIMERICK”
Like the mischievous twinkle in a poet’s eye, the origins of the Limerick are shrouded in mystery. Some trace its lineage back to the beautiful land of Ireland, while others believe it found its humble beginnings in the taverns of old England. Regardless of its precise birthplace, the limerick’s infectious nature soon spread like wildfire, captivating hearts and leaving laughter in its wake.

“Limericks in literary lore”
Throughout history, the limerick has nestled itself into the hearts of many esteemed poets and writers. One of the pioneers of limerick’s popularity was Edward Lear, whose “Book of Nonsense” brought these witty verses to the forefront of children’s literature in the 19th century. Lear’s imaginative tales and clever wordplay established limericks as a beloved art form that has transcended generations.

“Rise of the Saucy Limerick”
The first known use of the term “Limerick” in reference to a five-line poem rhyming in AABBA appeared in a letter written by Aubrey Beardsley in 1896. And how the pithy poetic form came to have this name, and its association with Ireland, remains another historical enigma.
There are a few competing theories, but the best explanation is that W.B. Yeats, and other poetic figures in Ireland, belatedly applied the name Limerick to this genre, some time after Lear’s death, in 1888. By doing so, Irish poets would create an implicit connection with the County of Limerick.
And, if we can know anything about the Irish race, we can say that they are enormously clever and irreverent. Thus, while the term Limerick was gaining literary currency in Ireland, these poetic morsels were also taking on a rather Celtic shade of indecency.

(typical Irish examples)
While a man was golfing in Fife
a funeral procession was a’rife;
his head bowed in prayer
at this somber affair,
to pay last respects to his wife!
~🍀~
There once was a girl from Kilkenny,
Whose usual price was a penny.
For half of that sum,
You could fondle her bum,
An economy practiced by many.

“Three Famous Limericks”
Then, you need but consider a handful of the most famous limericks to see that Edward Lear’s more family-friendly nursery rhyme format had evolved into something distinctively more suitable for mixed company.

There Was a Young Lady of Station
by Lewis Carroll
“There was a young lady of station
’
I love man’ was her sole exclamation
But when men cried,
‘you flatter’!
She replied,
‘Oh! No matter!’
Isle of Man is the true explanation.”

There Was a Small Boy of Quebec
by Rudyard Kipling

“There was a small boy of Quebec,
Who was buried in snow to his neck;
When they said ‘Are you friz?’
He replied, ‘Yes, I is –
But, we don’t call this cold in Quebec.’”

Hickory Dickory Dock
by Mother Goose
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one;
The mouse did run.
Hickory Dickory Dock.”

(then, of course, there’s)
“Man From Nantucket”
There once was a man from Nantucket,
Who kept all his cash in a bucket.
His daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket? Nantucket.

(and)

“There Was An Old Man With A Beard”
There was an Old Man with a beard,
who said, “It is just as I feared!
Two owls and a hen,
four larks and a wren
have all built their nests in my beard!

Richard Lear – 1846

(Shakespeare’s versions, not exactly following Limerick protocol per sé, but you’ll get the picture. In Othello (Act II, scene III, written in 1603), he uses the aabba rhyme scheme. So, perhaps, this is the earliest known Limerick ancestor.)

“Othello”
And let me the canakin clink, clink; 
And let me the canakin clink.
A soldier’s a man;
A life’s but a span;
Why, then, let a soldier drink?

“Hamlet”
There’s a poor Prince of Denmark who’s all too aware
The effects of his actions could lead to despair.
A man plagued by will
Was determined to kill;
Now, show me a life that this hero can spare.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
An Athenian daughter all down on her luck
Partakes of a potion provided by Puck.
Lysander meanders
With aimless bystanders,
As flowers bring magic to those who can pluck.

“Twelfth Night”
There’s a comedy found in the Folio
But tragic for hapless Malvolio.
The unlucky fellow
Comes clad in bright yellow,
To mount an unholy imbroglio

William Shakespeare – 1600s

(one Irish unmetered last … no more, they’ve all passed)
“Poetic Surprise”
There once was a poet from McCameter,
whose rod was prodigious in diameter.
But, it wasn’t the size
that gave ladies surprise,
but his rhythm … iambic pentameter!

~———————————•§•———————————~

IN CLOSING:

Those few who come to these pages,
to learn new poetry in stages …
you’ll be reading a bunch,
so be sure to bring lunch;
or, die with skinny rib cages!

Rascal Jenkins
©2025
🤪

Assignment:
Choosing one of the Limerick forms, compose us a Limerick or two or three, or … and, have us holding our sides in the throes of laughter, or fear, or romance, or whatever rings your bell.
Just have fun and surprise us!

Thanks for joining-in … see ya’ll mañana! ⁓ Richard🖌

~———————————•§•———————————~