Limericks are a form of humorous verse. They take their name from the city of Limerick, Ireland. No one knows how or where the form originated.

The limerick is a poem of five lines. The first two lines rhyme with the fifth. The third line rhymes with the fourth. There is a definite pattern to the stress given each word:

There was an old man with a beard
Who said, “It is just as I feared!”
Two owls and a hen,
Four larks and a wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!”

Writing Limericks is fun and easy. The Cleveland Library will be holding a limerick contest - see what you can do! Make sure that you follow the limerick verse form outline above, and then turn it into the library before March 12th.

*Important: Make sure you fill out the contest entry form when you enter your limerick! You can pick one up in the children’s room.