Ask the Experts: 8 Common questions about Limericks

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about limericks

The world of limericks is strange and mysterious. It’s a genre like no other. We all know a limerick when we hear one, but how much do we really know about limericks? Where do we draw the line between fact and fiction? Where does the limerick end and speculation begin?

But rather than drown ourselves in lyrical mysticism, let’s just cut to the chase and answer 8 of the most common questions about limericks.

1. Do limericks come from Limerick?

For reasons that no one fully understands, this quirky form of poetry bears the name of an unremarkable town in Ireland. Earliest evidence of limericks traces the form back to 18th century England. Apparently the limerick is not even Irish, although it has come to be irrevocably linked to the land of shamrocks and leprechauns.

2. Who invented the limerick?

If we could associate the limerick with one poet in particular, that would be Edward Lear. But did he actually invent the limerick? No. He merely popularized the form in the 19th century with his anthologies of literary nonsense. And did Edward Lear write good limericks? Not really. Consider the following example:

     There was an Old Man of Aôsta,
     Who possessed a large Cow, but he lost her;
               But they said, ‘Don’t you see,
               she has rushed up a tree?
     You invidious Old Man of Aôsta!’

3. How many lines are in a limerick?

A limerick contains five lines with the A-A-B-B-A rhyme scheme.

4. How many syllables are in a limerick?

Unlike haiku, the limerick does not have a definitive number of syllables. Commonly, lines 1, 2 and 5 have nine syllables, while lines 3 and 4 have six. But that’s not always the case.

5. What kind of meter is used in a limerick?

The meter used in limericks is known as anapest (da-da-DAH). For example: “There was once an old man from Japan”.

Limericks can also use the amphibrach foot (da-DAH-da), which is almost identical. For example: “There once was a lady from Lesbos”.

6. How do you write a limerick?

Basically, you employ the answers to questions 3, 4 and 5. Traditionally, you start with a phrase like “There once was a Hebrew from Halifax”. (Notice how this line uses amphibrach, but with an extra unaccented syllable at the end, because Halifax is a dactyl.)

Then you carry on in the same meter, with a rhyming line like “Who looked at the world with a parallax”. Then continue with a pair or shorter lines that rhyme, such as “For half of the night / He leaned to the right”. And then deliver the off-color punchline with one last line that rhymes with the first two: “An eager imbiber of Equilax”.

7. Are limericks dirty?

Limericks very often touch upon prurient subject matter, ranging from the marginally tasteless to the abjectly obscene. Here’s an example from my own archive. (You’ll notice I’ve added a few additional syllables to lines 1, 2 and 5, to give the limerick a little extra meat, but without disrupting the flow.)

     The Sting
     I once met a harlot from way over yonder
     She left me an itch which I scratch as I ponder
               My member still burns
               But I hope she returns
     Cuz an abscess, I’ve heard, makes the heart become fonder

8. Why are limericks funny?

It seems there’s something inherently whimsical and amusing about the anapest meter. It lends itself to literary tomfoolery. Moreover, one of the chief goals—at least in traditional limericks—is to include some kind of sexual innuendo, also a pun, and a surprise ending. This is not always easy to do, especially when you’re trying at the same time to maintain a strict meter and rhyme scheme. Here’s one I wrote for one of my longtime fans.

     Lady of the Limerick
     There’s a woman excited and kind
     Who by limericks was driven half blind
               With absolute trust
               And erudite lust
     My pen is now firm in her mind

Further Reading

If you found these Questions about Limericks interesting, you’ll probably enjoy the following articles and limericks:

• What is a Limerick?
• Serious Limericks: There once was an unsmiling rhymer
• Edward Lear and the mysterious origins of Limericks
• 14 of the Most Famous Limericks
• Does a limerick have to have 5 lines?
• Limerick writing tips and tricks
• Limericks vs. Haiku
• Limericks about Art History
• Limericks about James Joyce

Photo Credit: Thomas Verleene (Unsplash)