comicaL or Lewd, either wiLL do

is for Limerick

The limerick is often comical, nonsensical and/or lewd.  It follows a five line rhyme scheme aabba, often used in children’s poetry and in parody. Puns and wordplay are common, and coined words are used in some cases for comic effect.  Mother Goose Rhymes and Edward Lear’s are very well known examples, though Lear preferred the term nonsense verse to limerick.  

The verse form follows strict syllable counts and a metre known as anapestic, which I won’t bother you with.  A rigid pattern of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one (da da DUM).  Enough said.

If you want your poem limericked

two neat rhyming lines must be picked

and then you make do

with shorter lines two

and the last wraps it up anapesticked.

*** 

Some amount of weird and whacky play

this form allows, now don’t run away

thinking it’ll get lewd

must be fam'ly-friendly, dude!

and double entendre’s fine, but not risqué.

***

The pot called the ancient kettle black

and preened its slim, round self on the rack;

the kettle replied, stung -

at least I am well hung

and my front is quite distinct from my back.

As usual, I am not sure whether I have got the anapestiferous stuff right, but there they are. My limericks. Hope you enjoyed them. Read some more limericks over here and also here. 

Posted for the A-Z Challenge.