1862 edition of Edward Lear's "Book of Nonsense" Today's what we call "Limerick Day;" A chance to take words out to play. So we here at the Spark Thought it might be a lark To write today’s piece in this way. It may seem quite simple to do -- To write all these lines in a new Format like this (One we hope that won’t miss), But, frankly, it makes us say "phew!" I mean, it could drive us berserk (This making these couplets all work); The lines have to rhyme And still sound sublime -- It’s easy to sound like a jerk. Of course, no one made us do this. There were birthdays that we had to miss. Like Mary Kay Ash, Who made lots of cash By selling pink products like this. Or we could have marked Nurse's Day, friend, By making you all comprehend The work that they do May seem pointless to you, But you’ll soon get that point in the end. But I see we digress from our Spark, And we're leaving you still in the dark. This form has a history, It's really no mystery; Its origin's nothing but stark. A man with the name Edward Lear Gave birth to these poems he held dear. In 1845 (And that is no jive) The Limerick made its premiere! It's named for a city in Eire, And Lear's book created a fire We honor today In this rhythmical way (Of which we’re beginning to tire). So that'll be all we will write. We've made our point, now -- sweet respite From rhyming and poems, We’re off to our homes And wish you a non-metric night! Suggested Sites... Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense - if you thought reading the above was exhausting, try this. Wikipedia: Edward Lear - biography of the inventor of the Limerick. Poetry Online: Limericks - more Limericks than you can shake an eight-syllable stick at. Mary Kay Cosmetics - Happy Birthday, Mary Kay! International Nurses Day - lest we forget those sisters of mercy.

Directory categories: Limericks, Poetry, Edward Lear, Poets, Poetic Forms

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