When did you last jot down a limerick? Perhaps at primary school, maybe a rude one at high school, a clever one at work or in a writing class? Chances are you have never heard or read a limerick (depending on your age or location) and if this is the case, you are missing out on centuries of tireless amusement.

In my opinion limericks are not classy nor really poetic, and can be risqué, but they are a fun five-lines with a specific rhyme scheme (AABBA) and a nice sing-song beat ending with a great punch line. Let me show you two examples with classic endings:
(A)
“I sat next to the Duchess at tea,
Distressed as a person could be.
Her rumblings abdominal
Were simply phenomenal –
And everyone thought it was me!” (Anonymous)
(B)
There was an old man of Nantucket
Who kept all his cash in a bucket;
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantucket. (Anonymous)

Now I will show you four of my own attempts at limerick writing and notice the rhyming format:
(1)
There was an old lady from Wolfbane,
Day after day she had pain.
She cursed the cold weather,
And her shoes made of leather,
But really she suffered chilblain.
(2)
Brisbane city is deemed arcane,
Said to have sunshine never rain.
Such a fable the locals dictate,
To keep a high tourism rate,
And increase their monetary gain.
(3)
There was a young man from Bugbane,
Who suffered from bad stomach pain.
He ate onions on the job,
His boss said ‘you’re fired Bob’.
So he went home on the early train.
(4)
Wild wind on the beach today,
No children or dogs out to play.
I zipped up my jacket,
Trussed up like a packet,
Then my hat flew into the bay!

I think this blog post is long enough, you can learn more from limerick genius Fred Hornaday:
https://kingoflimericks.com/what-is-a-limerick/
The art of limerick writing is fun – try it.

💗 © Gretchen Bernet-Ward 2025