National Limerick Day
There once was a holiday on May twelve / That honored a verse every nerd loves to delve / Five lines, two rhymes, a structure quite tight / A bit of a chuckle if you do it right / Here's a day for these poems to shelve.
Why it matters
FIVE LINES, TWO RHYMES!
It’s National Limerick Day — May 12. Edward Lear’s birthday and the day designated for composing, reading, and sharing the tightest little verse form in the English language.
The Story
The limerick — five lines, AABBA rhyme, bouncy meter — became an English institution because of one Victorian illustrator who made them his escape.
The limerick form is probably older than Edward Lear, but he made it famous. Lear (1812-1888) was an English illustrator, landscape painter, and poet who happened to draw the 13th child in a large family. He suffered from epilepsy, depression, and a lifelong sense of not fitting in. Writing nonsense verse for children became his private escape from Victorian seriousness.
His Book of Nonsense, first published in 1846 (expanded 1855), contained 110 limericks with his own illustrations. Most began “There was an old man…” or “There was a young lady…” The form had existed before — folk verses, drinking songs, obscene ditties — but Lear’s clean, whimsical, child-friendly versions brought limericks into the Victorian drawing room and made them respectable.
The name “limerick” for the form doesn’t actually appear in print until 1880 — four decades after Lear’s first book. The origin of the name is disputed. One theory: a tavern chorus “Will you come up to Limerick?” (the Irish city) was sung between verses, and the form took its name from the refrain. Another: Irish Brigade soldiers in the Napoleonic Wars popularized the form and named it after their home city. No conclusive answer.
Today the limerick is the most recognizable English verse form outside the haiku. A competent writer can produce one in 60 seconds. It shows up in everything from children’s books to advertising to obscene drinking games. National Limerick Day on May 12 — Lear’s birthday — is a quiet, joyful English-speaking tradition. Write one tonight. They’re easier than they look.
There was an Old Man with a beard / Who said, “It is just as I feared! — / Two Owls and a Hen, / Four Larks and a Wren, / Have all built their nests in my beard!”
The Rules of the Form
Four elements of a proper limerick:
Five Lines
Exactly. Not four, not six. The form depends on the specific structure: long, long, short, short, long.
AABBA Rhyme
Lines 1, 2, 5 rhyme with each other. Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other (shorter). The rhyme scheme is non-negotiable.
The Meter
Anapestic (da-da-DUM) with three beats on the long lines, two on the short. Hum it: “da-DUM-da-da-DUM-da-da-DUM.” That’s the rhythm you’re targeting.
The Payoff
Line 5 should surprise. Either a twist, a punchline, or an absurdity. Without a turn, it’s just a verse; with one, it’s a limerick.
Famous Limericks Worth Knowing
Six classic limericks spanning 200 years:
Did You Know?!
Edward Lear illustrated his own limericks.
His line drawings are as famous as the verses. Awkward figures with giant noses — deliberately ugly, definitely charming. Lear was primarily a landscape painter; the nonsense illustrations were his private joy.
The limerick form has been used in serious poetry.
T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, and Rudyard Kipling all wrote limericks (though mostly as jokes). The form’s association with silliness is so strong it has mostly resisted “serious” use.
“Nantucket” limericks are an entire genre.
The city’s name is famously rhymable (“bucket,” “duck it,” “luck it,” etc.), which is why thousands of limericks start “There was an old man from Nantucket.” Most of them are unrepeatable.
The limerick is banned in some formal poetry contests.
Many prestige poetry awards exclude limericks on the grounds that they’re “too easy” — which is itself a kind of backhanded compliment.
Read & Write
A Book of Nonsense
Edward Lear · 1846
The foundational text. Public domain; free online. Kids and adults both find it charming. Lear’s own drawings are the delightful bonus.
The Penguin Book of Limericks
E. O. Parrott (ed.) · 1983
The definitive limerick anthology. 1,500+ limericks across four centuries. Some clean, some very much not. Thorough and fun.
Poemcrazy
Susan Wooldridge · 1996
Not a limerick book specifically — a poetry-for-everyone book. Teaches that anyone can write poetry, including limericks. Gentle, encouraging.
Pair It With
Edward Lear’s A Book of Nonsense. Free online; 30 minutes.
Write 3 limericks today. About your job, your pet, your commute. Share at least one.
Read one aloud at dinner tonight. The rhythm is meant to be heard.
Tea. Limericks are a drawing-room verse form. Tea fits.
Compose A Verse!
Tag us @celebrationnation with #NationalLimerickDay. Best original limerick wins a feature. No pressure.
How to celebrate
Write one. Read five. Send one to a friend:
- 📝 Write your own. Pick a proper noun (a friend, a place, a thing). Start: "There once was a [noun] from [place]..." The structure mostly forces itself.
- 📖 Read Edward Lear. His Book of Nonsense (1846) is the greatest limerick collection. Free online, takes 30 minutes.
- 📮 Send a limerick by text or card. A handwritten limerick is a charming piece of mail.
- 🎲 Host a limerick contest. At dinner, after drinks, on social media. Best one wins. Low-lift fun.
- 🎓 Teach the meter. Limerick meter (anapestic trimeter/dimeter) is the most accessible meter in English. Great kid-level poetry lesson.
Celebration ideas by audience
For families
Limerick dinner game. Each family member writes one; read aloud; funniest wins. Works for any age literate enough to rhyme.
For kids
Kids LOVE limericks. The silliness, the rhythm, the permission to be funny. Best gateway to poetry for ages 7-12.
For couples
Write limericks about each other's flaws. Affectionately. Classic romance activity, secretly.
At the office
Team limerick contest. Pick a company-specific theme. Three minutes to write. Thirty seconds to share. Morale-boosting.
At school
Limerick writing is THE easiest poetry lesson. Kids engage, produce, share. Teaches meter and rhyme without pain.
In your community
Library limerick night. Free, welcoming, mostly hilarious. Surprisingly well-attended events.
On your own
Write ten tonight. About your life, your work, your pets, your complaints. Therapeutic; funnier than you'd expect.
More to celebrate
National Columnists’ Day
National Columnists’ Day is the kind of day that rewards a little intention and a lot of heart.