Rediscover Limericks with a Book to Laugh and Learn From

Photo by Ben White 

There’s quite a bargain to be found in the first volume of Wordle Limericks (self-promotional as this sounds). The educational and amusing limericks cover a wide range of topics including healthcare, politics, history, mythology, science and more. 

Furthermore, it’s a book to laugh and learn from with all the different examples of how limericks are written (with over 600 entries). Of course, this can be a lot to go through and it can be difficult to decide where to start. 

Here are a few suggestions on how to make it a more enlightening read.

Start Familiarizing with Common Limerick Structure

Naturally, a good start is remembering exactly what a limerick is. 

They are very simple rhyming poems that originated in Ireland. But even though they are quite simple, many first time poets make the mistake that getting those rhymes is all there is to their creation. Understanding the basic rules of limericks also includes understanding the role of syllable count, using it to play with the subject matter, keeping it humorous and a whole lot more. 

It is also important to keep the rhymes neatly organized, strange as that may seem for poems that come across as light and free. (Although, one might argue that’s precisely what makes a limerick tick.) 

Consider this one example straight from the book: 

A man from the Ivory Coast

Adored eating jam on toast

When his toaster died

He wept and cried

I’d rather eat toast than pot roast

 As you can see, the rhymes are neatly grouped with the first, second and fifth lines having one while the third and fourth have another (otherwise known as the AABBA rhyme scheme). 

Still, the number of syllables are also important (albeit slightly easier to bend around). It’s usually in tandem with the AABBA rhyme scheme, with the A lines generally being longer than the B ones. Once you’ve grasped this, then you can easily get the feel for much of the other entries in the book. 

Get a Feel for Syllables

Photo by Sarah Mae

A book of limericks is a book to laugh and learn from mainly because of the rhymes and the pleasant reading exercises they make.

On the other hand, when people try a hand at making limericks, they find the syllables surprisingly harder to manage than the rhymes!

This is understandable. Limerick syllable count isn’t necessarily set in stone, but that’s why getting them to align can be really difficult.

This is where having a wide range of examples to read is very useful.

For despite the challenge of counting syllables, limericks have still historically been easier to write and practice with. In fact, that is essentially how Wordle Limericks got written. Each limerick was essentially the result of a word prompt from the game it’s derived from. Comparing the entries will show you the different variations of syllables if you just take the time to count.

From there, take note of how the different syllable counts correlate with the topic of the limerick (not necessarily its prompted word). Some topics are complex (like philosophy physics), thereby needing more syllables per line.

Case in point:

I’ve always had a desire to query

The validity of quantum theory

For if action at a distance

Is not just concomitance

The nature of the universe is scary 

Poetically, this shows that limerick syllables are no more an exact science than quantum mechanics. Reading all these various entries can really illuminate the general rule of the syllable count without bogging yourself down with the specifics.

Discover a New Educational Purpose in Limericks

Photo by Tim Mossholder 

When one asks why poets wrote limericks back in older time periods, one will find a peculiar, mixed history. Some say they started out as innocent rhymes for the working class, while others have given them a raunchier, dirtier reputation for less innocent subjects. 

But regardless of such origins, however, it may have well foreshadowed just how versatile limericks are when wittily discussing any subject matter. Hence, they have such potential for creating a book to laugh and learn from. 

That makes it useful for wittily covering any topic and making it easier to understand with just a handful of lines. 

Nuggets of these fun-fact-filled rhymes are scattered across Wordle Limericks. 

It does not require great skill

For the blue whale to eat so much krill

The crustacean is so small

Whales cannot see them at all

With mouth wide open their hunger they fulfill 

That’s certainly a fun way to teach kids how big whales eat! And while there are definitely a lot of not-so-kid-friendly entries as well, the point is you use these as references for imparting your own enlightening verses. 

Consider picking out five different entries that teach about some topics you found interesting. Did it pertain to a particularly field you are fond of (such as history or pop culture)? Look at some of the structures of the limericks you chose, and see if you can write a limerick with a similar structure for a topic you personally know. It could be fun! 

Try out some of these ideas today by checking out Wordle Limericks by Marshall S. Flam M.D., available now on Amazon.