Limericks
1. Rhyme Time
A limerick has five lines. The first, second and fifth lines all rhyme with each other. The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other.
2. Feel the Beat
The first, second and fifth lines (which all rhyme with each other) have the same rhythmic pattern:
Ba dum ba da dum da da dum (8 syllables)
The third and fourth lines (which rhyme with one another) have this pattern:
Ba dum ba da dum (five syllables)
3. Try it out
1. There once was a kid who was sad
Here’s the Rythm
1.There once was a kid who was sad (Ba dum ba da dum da da dum)
A famous example:
Hickory, dickory, dock The mouse ran up the clock The clock struck one, And down he run, Hickory, dickory, dock!
4. Get creative!
Want to make it easier on little ones? Try a “fill-in-the-blank” method. Just take away a few of the rhyming words and have them guess the answers.
There once was a _____ from the farm Who had sixteen hairs on his ______ Dog gave them a pull
Cat laughed like a _____
They never meant him any ____.
More about Limericks:
Limericks - Basics video
Ken Nesbit: Poetry 4 Kids
Limericks
Poems for the Third Grade
A limerick has five lines. The first, second and fifth lines all rhyme with each other. The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other.
- 1. To
- 2. Who
- 3. Lock
- 4. Stock
- 5. Glue
2. Feel the Beat
The first, second and fifth lines (which all rhyme with each other) have the same rhythmic pattern:
Ba dum ba da dum da da dum (8 syllables)
The third and fourth lines (which rhyme with one another) have this pattern:
Ba dum ba da dum (five syllables)
3. Try it out
1. There once was a kid who was sad
- 2. He made up a lie to his dad
- 3. His pop knew the trick
- 5. And called it out quick
- 6. And now the kid’s ice cream’s gone bad
Here’s the Rythm
1.There once was a kid who was sad (Ba dum ba da dum da da dum)
- 2. He made up a lie to his dad
(Ba dum ba da dum da da dum) - 3. His pop knew the trick
(ba dum ba da dum)
- 5. And called it out quick
(ba dum ba da dum) - 6. And now the kid’s ice cream’s gone bad
(Ba dum ba da dum da da dum)
A famous example:
Hickory, dickory, dock The mouse ran up the clock The clock struck one, And down he run, Hickory, dickory, dock!
4. Get creative!
Want to make it easier on little ones? Try a “fill-in-the-blank” method. Just take away a few of the rhyming words and have them guess the answers.
There once was a _____ from the farm Who had sixteen hairs on his ______ Dog gave them a pull
Cat laughed like a _____
They never meant him any ____.
More about Limericks:
Limericks - Basics video
Ken Nesbit: Poetry 4 Kids
Limericks
Poems for the Third Grade
Lake in the Forest
In the forest there is a lake.
The scenery is not fake
Barnacles on the rocks
Boats at the docks
We had a picnic and ate some cake
In the forest there is a fake.
The scenery is not lake
Barnacles at the docks
Boats on the rocks
We had a picnic and ate late
In the forest there is a lake.
The scenery is not fake
Barnacles on the rocks
Boats at the docks
At our picnic ants ate the cake
By Elena & Kian Payton
========================
Kian’s Limerick
Lay high, lay low,
Go fast, go slow.
Go down, go up,
See a rabbit, see a pup!
At sunrise see a glow!
Kian Joseph Payton
10 September 2020
Kian's Limerick #2
Metals
You start with copper and end with brass
And all of those were under the grass
You dug to iron and then made steel
You made a pot and cooked a meal
And then you finished by making glass.
2 March 2021
In the forest there is a lake.
The scenery is not fake
Barnacles on the rocks
Boats at the docks
We had a picnic and ate some cake
In the forest there is a fake.
The scenery is not lake
Barnacles at the docks
Boats on the rocks
We had a picnic and ate late
In the forest there is a lake.
The scenery is not fake
Barnacles on the rocks
Boats at the docks
At our picnic ants ate the cake
By Elena & Kian Payton
========================
Kian’s Limerick
Lay high, lay low,
Go fast, go slow.
Go down, go up,
See a rabbit, see a pup!
At sunrise see a glow!
Kian Joseph Payton
10 September 2020
Kian's Limerick #2
Metals
You start with copper and end with brass
And all of those were under the grass
You dug to iron and then made steel
You made a pot and cooked a meal
And then you finished by making glass.
2 March 2021
