Introduction
Poems are collections of words that express an idea or emotion that often use imagery and metaphor. As you are studying literature, you will likely notice that poems come in many, many different forms. As you read and perhaps write your own poems, it is helpful to know the different kinds of poems.
There are many different types of poems. The difference between each type is based on the format, rhyme scheme and subject matter.A limerick is one kind of poetry.
Writing a limerick is a lot of fun as it includes rhyme, rythm and many other elements you are about to discover.
Task
Activity:
You have to choose a topic to write about. Create your own limerick about this topic. Then present your limerick to your audience. Don't forget to read it with rythm.
Process
1. What is a limerick? 
A limerick is often a funny poem with a strong beat. Limericks are very light hearted poems and can sometimes be utter nonsense. They are great for kids to both read and write as they are short and funny.
Here is a sample of a limerick by the famous poet Edward Lear.
'There was an old man with a beard
Who said, 'It is just as I feared,
Two owls and a hen
A lark and a wren
Have all built their nests in my beard!'
2. The Structure of a Limerick Poem
A Limerick consists of five lines.
The first line of a limerick poem usually begins with 'There was a....' and ends with a name, person or place.
The last line of a limerick is normally a little farfetched or unusual.
A limerick should have a rhyme scheme of aabba:
This means lines 1,2 and 5 rhyme and lines 3 and 4 rhyme.
Also, lines 1,2 and 5 should have 7 – 10 syllables and lines 3 and 4 should have 5 – 7 syllables.
3. For more tips on how to write a limerick, watch the videos below.
[video: width:420 height:315]
Now, why don't you try writing a Limerick and enter it into one of our poetry competitions.
Evaluation
In order for your limerick to be good and well organized, you have to thoroughly read the table of rubrics for adjustments, finalization and evaluation.
|
Rubric Description |
Poor 1 pt. |
Fair 3 pts. |
Good 5 pts. |
|
Structure
Follows rules of limerick format |
Poor Limerick has more than 1 line that does follow limerick structure. |
Fair Limerick mostly follows format but has 1 line that does not follow limerick structure. |
Good Limericks follows format; lines 1,2 and 5 contain three stressed syllables and end words are rhyming. Lines 3 and 4 contain 2 stressed syllables, end with words that are rhyming and are shorter than lines 1,2 and 5 |
|
Conventions Capitalization, punctuation |
Poor More than 2 errors in punctuation, capitalization, or misspelled common words |
Fair Only 1-2 errors in punctuation, capitalization or misspelling of commonly used words. |
Good No errors; common words are spelled correctly, beginning of sentence and proper nouns are capitalized; correct punctuation is used throughout. |
|
Organization Meaning and pattern hold the piece together |
Poor Limerick contains many choppy or incomplete thoughts; does not provide resolution or closure. |
Fair Structure mostly fits the type of writing, has 1-2 choppy sentences or does not provide a sense of resolution or closure. |
Good Structure fits the type of writing, creates a beginning that captures the readers’ interest; provides a sense of resolution or closure. |
|
Presentation Neat, organized and legible writing with a clear rhythm |
Poor Student has published a piece that is messy; not creative with wrong rhythm |
Fair Student has published a piece that is mostly organized and neat, used creative way for presenting the work (cardboard, paper with legible handwriting, typed etc..) with fair rhythm |
Good Student has published a piece that is organized and neat, present it using technology (powerpoint presentation, movie maker etc..) and proper rhythm and intonation. Student has taken pride in their work. |