Line 1: Rhyme A Line 2: Rhyme A Line 3: Rhyme B Line 4: Rhyme B Line 5: Rhyme A

Line 1: Eight or nine syllables Line 2: Eight or nine syllables Line 3: Five or six syllables Line 4: Five or six syllables Line 5: Eight or nine syllables

Line 1: Three stressed syllables (da DUM da da DUM da da DUM) Line 2: Three stressed syllables (da DUM da da DUM da da DUM) Line 3: Two stressed syllables (da DUM da da DUM) Line 4: Two stressed syllables (da DUM da da DUM) Line 5: Three stressed syllables (da DUM da da DUM da da DUM)

For example, maybe you remember a funny event at a childhood birthday party that you can write about. Or perhaps you decide to write about an entertaining moment with your dog at the park earlier in the day.

For example, you may start with a premise like, “There once was a girl named Sam who fell into a pot of spam…”

For example, maybe you choose a scenario like “What if I became a bear?” and then explore how it might feel to walk, eat, and think like a bear in the limerick.

For example, in a limerick by Edward Lear, the first line is: “There was an Old Person of Dover. ” Another example is a limerick by Selina Wallis that begins with, “There once was a girl named Selina. ”

For example, you may start with a first line like, “There once was a shy boy named Mark. ” You may then think of words that rhyme with “Mark” like “shark,” “lark,” or “park. ” You can then build a story around these rhyming words.

For example, in the limerick by Edward Lear, the second line shows the old person from Dover doing something silly: “Who rushed through a field of blue Clover;” Another example is a limerick by an anonymous poet that opens with the lines: “A bather whose clothing was strewn/By winds that left her quite nude. ”

For example, in the Lear limerick, the old person from Dover is confronted with an obstacle: “But some very large bees/Stung his nose and his knees. ” In a limerick by Selina Wallis, the aspiring ballerina deals with an issue: “She went on her toes/And fell on her nose. ”

For example, the limerick by Edward Lear ends with the line: “So very soon he went back to Dover. ” The poem is resolved when the old person realizes they needs to treat their bee stings and go back to their home. In the limerick by Selina Wallis, the ballerina realizes her injury means she cannot be dance anymore, and the last line is: “Then she became a cleaner. ”

Make sure the limerick follows the proper rhyme scheme. Adjust it if the rhythm or rhyming is off. Check that there are no spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors in the limerick.

Be open to constructive feedback on the limerick from others.

You can also title the poem simply “Limerick” or the name of the main character, such as “Selina the Ballerina. ”