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Finally! After ruminating about a monthly poetry carnival for over a year, after weeks of building up to it, the long-awaited inauguration is HERE! Thanks to all of you who’ve been brave enough to "pre-register". Today, you’ll receive an explanation of the featured poetry form; over the next week, take some time to write it; then NEXT Monday, I’ll post a "Mr. Linky" and you can add the link to your submission (to avoid confusion, I’m not posting Mr. Linky until then…poems should be linked, not your blog’s home page). If you’d like to pick up the button on this page, click the "Want this Button" and it’ll take you to the page where the code is located (there are two sizes–one for sidebars and one for post pages).
I’ll be working on a PPL blogroll, but knowing me, that might take a little bit of time.
Limericks. Don’t they just make you GRIN?! Weighing in at only five lines, they prove that poetic dynamite comes in small packages. Limericks are intended to make you laugh, and while some of the more famous limericks are obscene, there’s something intrinsically humorous about its form and meter, and I don’t think you have to resort to bawdiness to get a smile. Line five is key IMHO, and makes or breaks the limerick (I guess that’s why I write the first four lines with ease, then spend the majority of my time thinking of the punch line).
Limericks have been around for hundreds of years and were popularized in English with the publication of Edward Lear’s "Book of Nonsense" in 1845. The origin of how limericks came to be known as such is inconclusive, but association to Limerick, Ireland is common.
While there are more technical ways to describe writing a limerick, for our purposes, we’ll strive for simplicity. The pattern is A A B B A–but it’s the rhythm that gives this form its delight: lines
1, 2 and 5 contain 3 beats and rhyme, and lines 3 and 4
have two beats and rhyme. Need additional guidance? This spells it out very clearly:
There was an old man from Peru, (A)
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
who dreamed he was eating his shoe. (A)
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
He awoke in the night (B)
da DUM da da DUM
with a terrible fright, (B)
da da DUM da da DUM
and found out that it was quite true. (A)
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
So, ready to write your own? You have a week to complete it, but PLEASE don’t make this more difficult than it is–Pensieve’s Poetic License is intended to be a fun exercise in linguistic creativity! This month’s theme is "Thanksgiving"; broad enough to go in a thousand directions, but remember, since PPL’s motto is "No Rules. Just WRITE!" you’re pretty much free to do as you please.
If you’re not sure whether or not you wanna do this, how ’bout for the limerick faint-of-heart, a little something to get you going? I’ll give you the first four lines, you write a SMOKIN’ fifth!
The pilgrims, they started it all.
A feast fit for kings in the Fall.
Thankful were they,
Eating turkey all day
____________________________.
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Source links:
Sites for teachers
Web English Teacher
Wikipedia
“not having a tv for football” ?
…instead of the awful stuff in that stinky, rotten, maggot-filled barrel of smoked fish.
Yeah, I know. I need a remedial class;)
I’ll keep thinking!
da dum da da dum da da dum…
Is it starting already? I’ve gotta finish FM but I’ll be back.
The pilgrims, they started it all.
A feast fit for kings in the Fall.
Thankful were they,
Eating turkey all day…
And Friday they spent at the mall!
Love ya, e-Mom
(Oh, was I supposed to wait until next week???)
Ha Ha – all I can think of after reading that DaDumDaDum is a book we have –
one monkey drumming on a drum
dum diddy dum diddy dum dum dum
Okay – a week to think of a limerick? I will give it my BEST shot.
what fun! i might have to give this a try!
To finish yours…
The pilgrims, they started it all.
A feast fit for kings in the Fall.
Thankful were they,
Eating turkey all day…
And soon they felt wider than tall.
and a new one … with a different sort of thanksgiving in mind 🙂
There was a gift from God
Who stretched out his arms so broad
Thanks to He
Who hung on the tree
It still leaves me feeling awed
OH MAN !!!! Emom took my line, here I thought I was all cool and came up with something – only to see our sweet beloved Emom beat me to it!!
Oh well!
Robin girl, you make me smile.
**big ol hugs**
Jill, cute, and Oh, so appropro :).
Kelly, S N O R T!!!!!
Robinella, good luck to ya on that…FM does me in :/…
E-mom–LOVEITLOVEITLOVEIT!
Karmyn, does that mean your brain is unmushed?
Alison, GREAT…I’ll remind ya :).
Inheritor, WELCOME! And big smiles on BOTH your offerings here :).
Kristy, once again, my work here is done ;).
For some reason, I am very nervous about this, but what the hey, I think I should challenge myself to keep from shrivelling up.
Thanks for the innovative idea.
There once was a cranky ‘old witch
Who was sometimes mistaken for a B_____!
She was in a bad mood
Her manners were crude
So out the door all her relatives she did pitch.
Don’t forget the housewarming for JulieBug and Tig this Friday.
Will try to create a decent Lim’Rick!
I think I’ll just take Swampy’s…it’s so apropo. ROFL!!! (I’m teasing about the stealing, of course)
how’s this from the Library Poet that is me (:P) …
I
can
not write
though I try
it does not
work and I
haven’t
a clue
what
to
do.
Drat…pushed the button prematurely.
Sorry it wasn’t a limerick though. I can’t get past Nantucket. 🙁
Witchypoo, I bet you surprise yourself (and kudos to you for stepping out of your comfort zone!) :).
SWAMPY!!! I’VE MISSED YOU!!
Pear Lady, LOVE IT! Limerick or not 🙂
The pilgrims, they started it all.
A feast fit for kings in the Fall.
Thankful were they,
Eating turkey all day
So this year we invited Y’all.
I definitely want to do this. I’ll be thinking hard…
Ok I want in on the action. I will work really hard on this one. 😀
Mine’s up. I know I’m early – I’ll come back for Mr. Linky next week.
http://2passthetorch.com/2007/11/16/gratitude-poem-a-limerick/
Have a great weekend!
The pilgrims, they started it all.
A feast fit for kings in the Fall.
Thankful were they,
Eating turkey all day.
“Yum!” they cried, “aren’t we having a ball!”
Here by way of Kelly at Pass the Torch! Just finished mine and I’ll be back Monday to sign Mr. Linky! Thank you, thank you for doing this! What fun!
Pensieves Poetic License ~ Youre Invited…
Bookmarked your post over at Blog Bookmarker.com!