Limerick rules
@allknowing (130066)
India
February 29, 2016 4:39am CST
I wrote a post about doubts on limerick rules. I have them all collected and this is what they are
Rhyming all 5 lines is not easy but unfortunately the limerick rule does not accept it. Also a limerick should be funny but not silly or serious. Mine was serious. Also there is a rule about there being a certain number of syllables in each line.
I
This limerick that I wrote did not meet with any of the rules
[i]Limericks are nothing but fun
Giving your thought a happy run
Let them run till you are done
As many a heart you have won
Reading your thoughts one by one[/i]
A perfect limerick would be something like this
[i]There once was a person from Lyme
Who married three wives at a time.
When asked, "Why a third?"
He replied, "One's absurd,
And bigamy, sir, is a crime!"[/i]
Source
To summarise
- A limerick should have 5 lines
- Lines 1 -2 and 5 must have seven to ten syllables and they should rhyme with each other
. The third and fourth lines must have five to seven syllables, and have to rhyme with each other.
It is not always easy to count syllables and for this there is a syllable counter
http://www.poetrysoup.com/poetry_resources/syllable_counter.aspx
you can use.
Hope limerick lovers will keep these rules in mind.
9 people like this
10 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
29 Feb 16
Counting syllables should not be necessary for a limerick because he usually quoted in a certain rhythm, which itself would control the syllables.
Lines 4 and 5 are traditionally shorter than the other 3. Using the guidelines which you supplied above you could actually create one with 5 lines of 7 syllables, but it would flow properly.
A limerick is easy to write
And should not be a difficult plight
It is the rhythm that counts
More than syllable amounts
For which hearing is used and not sight
5 people like this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
29 Feb 16
You will be surprised how each one pronounces words and so it is necessary to know about syllables. - my thinking
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
29 Feb 16
@allknowing I am fully aware of the variations in pronunciation from country to country and even from region to region, but counting syllables would not eliminate that situation.
2 people like this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
29 Feb 16
@Asylum There is definitely a format for every kind of poetry and limericks are included in there. Counting of syllables is required for every kind of poetry.and I would certainly go by the number of syllables and not depend only on my hearing - over to you 
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8538)
• United Kingdom
29 Feb 16
Well, I never knew that limericks had rules. :D
There once was a man in a car
Who could not get very far
He looked at his side
And he realised
He was sitting in a bar.
:)
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8538)
• United Kingdom
29 Feb 16
@allknowing Thank you. Yes, it is. I literally just made it up as I was responding. :)
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
29 Feb 16
@pumpkinjam You are very good. You are following rules I see. Let's have some more.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
29 Feb 16
Now that I know the rules I will give it a try. I knew there must be more too it but I didn't bother to look it up because to tell the truth, I'm no poet.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
29 Feb 16
There is no catch at all but just a few rules which are there for any form of poetry.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23231)
• Bangalore, India
1 Mar 16
Once upon a time there was a girl
She was as pretty as a pearl
But limericks once she tried
In the rules she got entwined
She got lost trying her words to corral
Story of our life @allknowing 
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
1 Mar 16
With a bit of practice you will soon join the experts here. Not bad at all.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
29 Feb 16
lol, 'n this's why i don't do limericks :) too many danged rules.
1 person likes this
