Before we all go off the rails, here's one of the most famous and well-known limericks written by Edward Lear in 1846 to use as an example of the rhyme scheme and cadence.
There was an Old Man with a Beard
BY EDWARD LEAR
There was an Old Man with a beard, A 8 Syllables
Who said, "It is just as I feared! A 8 syllables
Two Owls and a Hen, B 5 syllables
four Larks and a Wren, B 5 syllables
Have all built their nests in my beard. A 8 Syllables
It not only follows the (AA BB A ) rhyming scheme but also has a defined cadence or rhythm structure produced by the number of syllables in each line as shown above which is 8 8 5 5 8 .
Lear's limericks were often written in only 4 lines , combining lines 3 & 4 together. I've separated them in the example .
But there's more!
The rhythm of a limerick is anapestic, which means two unstressed syllables are followed by a third stressed syllable.
The first, second, and final line each have three anapests—da dum da da dum da da dum.
The third and fourth lines have two anapests-—da dum da da dum.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-limerick#3TPDcNpEExyvghqiVO41F6
About the Creator
Lea Waske
Although no longer a Vocal + member, every now and then, I can't resist responding to a Challenge and take time out from my other writing projects just for fun.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Comments (8)
Thanks for this ❤️
I just wtote the AABBA and went for good fun, not rejected so, win or lose I had fun.. Willing to try the elegant way though. Thanks.
Whoa, I thought it was as simple as AABBA. Never knew there were syllable counts, stressed and unstressed syllables, and anapests. I learned a lot, thank you for sharing this!
Thank you. I always appreciate examples.😊💕
This is good information, thank you
(a lot of licence been taken with the form, and thusly, those do not work at all as limericks) - I argue that you can fudge a bit with the exact number of syllables, so long as the cadence remains - for example you might squeeze in 6 instead of 5 or the odd 9 instead of 8. Any more than this or certainly any less than the cadence requires and it just doesn't work.
Thank you for writing this. It's important info. A lot that I've read have the rhyme, but not the beat. Have you shared this in the FB groups?
Thank you for this one, Lea. It needed to be said. I've linked to it from my first entry in the limerick challenge.