For Kids

LIMERICKS are 5 line poems with a set meter. This means they have a required number of syllables in each line. The first two lines and the final line have 7-8 syllables. The third and fourth lines have 5-6 syllables. Here’s an example:

There once was a cat named Billy (8 syllables)
Who often became quite silly. (8)
When he played with catnip (6)
He jumped and he flipped (5)
Like he was caught in a dilly. (8)

Limericks became popular in the late 19th century when an Englishman named Edward Lear printed collections of them. Throughout history many countries and cultures have created similar silly poetic writings. Although no one is quite sure why, limericks were named after the Irish town of Limerick. So during March when we celebrate the Irish holiday of St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a great time to write your own limericks.

Try filling in the lines of the limerick starter provided here. An example is given to jump-start your creativity, and a blank shamrock follows for you to write a limerick of your very own. To read more limericks check out these and other limerick books from your local library:

A Pocketful of Nonsense by James Marshall
Lots of Limericks published by Macmillan
Talkaty Talker: Limericks by Molly Manley
There Was an Old Man: a Gallery of Nonsense Rhymes by Edward Lear
Uncle Switch: Loony Limericks by X. J. Kennedy