Limericks

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Limericks

• This is a very humorous type of poetry.

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What is a limerick?

• Rhyme pattern AABBA
• Have a pattern of 8,8,5,5,8 (syllables)
• Were originally written by Edward Lear
• Line 1 introduces the character
• Lines 1,2, 5 rhyme
• Lines 3 4 also rhyme

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Sample of Edward Lears Limericks

• There was an old man of Peru
• Who dreamt he was eating his shoe
• He woke in the night
• With a terrible fright
• To find it was perfectly true.

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Write your own!

• Line 1 RP A / 8 syllables / a character
• Line 2 RP A / 8 syllables/ plot (exposition)
• Line 3 RP B / 5 syllables / plot
• Line 4 RP B / 5 syllables / plot
• Line 5 RP A / 8 syllables / plot (resolution)

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