Limerick Poem Examples and Activities

Limerick poems are another great way to have fun with poetry. They are typically silly and have a specific rhyme scheme or pattern. Limericks are only one five-line stanza in length and have an AABBA rhyme scheme. These poems are usually funny, short stories.

Edward Lear popularized limericks in the 19th century. He was from England. He loved to write humorous poems that were sometimes referred to as “nonsense poetry.”

Lear aimed to tell funny stories in his limericks. For that reason, limericks are likely to make your student poets chuckle.

Examples

Here’s a collection of Lear’s limericks. As you’ll notice, many are comedic and contain silly themes and stories that don’t always make sense, but are entertaining nonetheless:

“There was an Old Man on a hill,
Who seldom, if ever, stood still;
He ran up and down,
In his Grandmother’s gown,
Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.”

As you can see, the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme. The third and fourth lines rhyme as well. Here are two more of Lear’s limericks:

“There was an Old Person of Chili,
Whose conduct was painful and silly,
He sate on the stairs,
Eating apples and pears,
That silly Old Person of Chili.”

“There was an Old Man in a tree,
Who was horribly bored by a Bee;
When they said, ‘Does it buzz?’
He replied, ‘Yes, it does!’
‘It’s a regular brute of a Bee!’”

Limericks are an excellent way to get students to have fun with poetry.

We have a selection of worksheets that contain model limericks. In addition, our limerick templates can set students up for success and give you an easy, ready-to-print or share resource.

Instructional Uses and Strategies

1. April Fools Day Limericks: Limericks are a great way to use comedy in the classroom. Have students write April Fools Day Limericks to prank one another or tell extra funny stories to celebrate the occasion. Collect a list of funny words to give students some inspiration and so they can easily follow the rhyme scheme of a limerick.
2. Limericks for Kids: If your class has a buddy class or has students who mentor younger learners, consider having students write limericks for their buddies. Additionally, those learners can write limericks with their buddies. Enjoying the silliness of limericks together is a great way to create bonds.

Limericks have long been enjoyed by people of all ages. These comedic poems can offer humor and a chance to showcase one’s sense of silliness.

It’s also great to celebrate the poetry students create; by collecting and displaying limericks, you’ll be able to create a little nook of silliness in your classroom. This will be great for times when everyone needs a laugh!

Whether you’re preparing for National Poetry Month or want to change up your lessons to spark engagement, limericks are a great way to spark interest.

We hope you’ll use our limerick poem examples and activities to add a bit of shine to your classroom and inspire a love of poetry among your learners.