An amusing time with rhyme
Limericks are poems that have their own special rhythm and way of rhyming. They have five lines. The first two lines are of similar length, and they rhyme with each other. They usually have about eight or nine syllables or separate sounds. Then there are two shorter lines that rhyme with each other but not the first two lines. And finally, the last line is of similar length as the first two and usually rhymes with them. Limericks are often written to entertain or amuse readers.
Here is an example:
There once was a boy from Hong Kong
Who always did everything wrong
He lost all his money
And thought it was funny
And decided to just sing a song
Note how the word at the end of the first line ('Kong') rhymes with the end of the second line ('wrong') and the fifth line ('song'). And see how the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other ('money' and 'funny') but not with the others.
Here is another limerick. See if it follows the same pattern:
A cockroach was feeling so merry
He went to Kowloon on a ferry
He hid under a seat
Near somebody's feet
And nibbled for lunch on a cherry
This time let's count the sounds or syllables. There are nine syllables in the first, second and fifth lines and five or six in lines three and four. Good limericks should flow off the tongue.
See if the following limericks follow the same pattern of rhythm and rhyme.
A young boy bought a box of fried rice
Told his mum that he thought it was nice
He put on soy sauce
And ate it of course
And ordered some more in a trice
May Chan always worked hard at school
So that nobody thought her a fool
But one day on a whim
She went for a swim
And did fifty long lengths in the pool
Comprehension
1. What did the boy from Hong Kong do that was wrong?
2. How was the cockroach feeling?
3. Where did the cockroach hide?
4. What did the young boy buy?
5. What did he tell his mum?
6. Who always worked hard at school?
7. How many lengths did she swim?
Be a writer
Limericks have a definite structure. Use the template below to write your own limerick. Remember the rhythm and rhyme when you do this.
Try to fill the gaps with your own rhyming words.
There once was a man from Wan Chai
Who swallowed a very big (8) ___________
It buzzed in his mouth
As he headed (9) ___________
And waved everybody (10) ___________
Rhymes
You need to be able to rhyme words to be a good limerick writer. Try writing five words that rhyme for each of the following:
11. road
12. table
13. flat
14. wok
Crossword
Look at the words below and fit them into the puzzle. There are some clues to help you.
List: cherry, nibbled, tongue, lunch, soy, trice
1. You taste food with this part of your body
2. A meal eaten about midday
3. To have eaten something in small pieces
4. A small amount of time
5. A small red fruit
6. A sauce you might use to add taste to food
Answers
1. lost his money
2. so merry
3. under a seat
4. a box of fried rice
5. that it was nice
6. May Chan
7. 50
8. fly
9. south
10. goodbye
11. toad, code, load, node, showed...
12. stable, cable, able, fable, gable...
13. mat, cat, sat, hat, chat...
14. sock, mock, dock, lock, shock...
Crossword
1. tongue
2. lunch
3. nibbled
4. trice
5. cherry
6. soy
