Limerick

A limerick is a form of light verse, a five-line poem in a distinctive rhythm and rhyme scheme. It is typically humorous, often nonsensical or bawdy, and is widely associated with English-language poetry. The standard features are a strict AABBA rhyme pattern and anapestic meter.

The first, second, and fifth lines usually have three metrical feet; the third and fourth lines have two feet. The longer lines tend to have a lilting, fast rhythm, while the shorter lines provide a brief pause before the final punchline.

Limericks typically present a single idea or situation, often focusing on a person or place, and usually culminate in a surprising or humorous twist in the final line. Because of their informal nature, they can be risqué or satirical, though many are clean and family-friendly.

The origin of the form is uncertain. It is generally traced to English-language verse in the 18th or early 19th century and was popularized by Edward Lear in the mid-19th century with A Book of Nonsense, which helped standardize the form in popular culture.

Today limericks are a common fixture in poetry anthologies, classroom exercises, and comic verse collections.