Today, May 12, is National Limerick Day, set aside to honor those cherished little verses that, in many cases, are a bit too rude to share with a wide audience.
What many people don’t realize is that the famous limerick was actually popularized by British illustrator and poet Edward Lear. Lear was famous for his nonsense writings that showcased his love of the sounds of words, both real and made up. He published A Book of Nonsense in 1846, which ended up going through three printings. This book not only made limericks a popular literary form, but also brought the genre of literary nonsense to everyone’s attention.
And I have to admit, I didn’t know that literary nonsense was an actual genre. Now that I know, it may be time to explore it.
Back to the limericks. I’m certain most people grew up hearing a few limericks recited in schoolyards or at parties, generally the naughty ones that I won’t repost here. Not to take away from them. I found them funny when I was young and I still chuckle when I hear them as an adult (I may have grown up, but I didn’t mature).
Lear’s limericks were simple and quaint, geared more towards children. While they aren’t necessarily laugh-inducing, I smiled when reading them. Here’s an example with one of Lear’s illustrations:
There was an Old Man of Peru,
Who watched his wife making a stew;
But once by mistake,
In a stove she did bake
That unfortunate Man of Peru.
So the next time you hear (or write) a limerick, please take a moment to remember Edward Lear and his contribution to fine literature. Without him, there would be a little less humor in the world.
Hats off to old Edward Lear
Whose writings live on through the years
They’re silly, of course
Consider the source
But let’s toast him with many a beer!
RB
I am a poet who is always late
That might be why I don’t date
I love silly verse
Carry them in my purse
Bad poems are no reason to hate
Wonderful, JeanMarie! Thanks so much for participating. 🙂
Really enjoyed that. Thanks rich.
My pleasure, my friend!
Love it!
Please don’t expect me to contribute though I was aware of Mr Lear’s involvement in the Limerick.
No pressure, Sheree! Thanks for stopping by!
😎
Limericks are a little crazy too😉
That they are, my friend!
I have always loved his limericks!
I love this set in Italy:
There was an Old Person of Gretna,
Who rushed down the crater of Etna;
When they said, “Is it hot?”
He replied, “No, it’s not”
That mendacious Old person of Gretna
§ § §
Oh, that’s wonderful, Luisa! Thanks for commenting and sharing! 🙂
You’re more than welcome!
Brilliant, Luisa. I didn’t know you also wrote Limericks.
That was written by Lear.
Anyway, for me it’s easier to write limericks in Italian, even if this poetic form is little known here
Thanks, Luisa. 😍🤓😇
Excellent!
Thanks a lot, dear JeanMarie 💖
Interesting
My pleasure. It may be one of the few family friendly Limericks about the Girl from Nantucket.
😂
Love it. I didn’t know it was National Limerick Day.
There once was a girl from Nantucket
Who carried her lunch each day in a bucket
But her bread was so hard
It bounced more than a yard
And so she decided to chuck it.
😎😉🤓
LOL! Love it, Pat! Thanks for contributing to the cause! 😉