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Comedy: March 15, 2017 Issue [#8177]

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Comedy


 This week: A Laugh A Limerick
  Edited by: eyestar~* Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

*Delight*Hiya comedy lovers! Here I am as guest editor and while I do not have a writer's funny bone, I appreciate those who do and love to laugh with them! With St. Patrick's Day close by, my muse leaped to Limericks, a humourous poetry form associated with Ireland.*Shamrock* So... to introduce the theme here is one that actually mentions a province in Canada! *Laugh*

"There was a small boy in Quebec
who was buried in snow to his neck
When he was asked, "are you friz?"
he replied, "I, is."
But we don;t call this cold in Quebec."

Rudyard Kipling





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Letter from the editor

*Shamrock* Limericks *Laugh*


*Shamrock* If you like to laugh or at least smile, Limericks may be just what you need to put a shine in your day! They are just FUN!

A limerick is simple, short poem with bawdy or nonsensical themes. It can be traced back to the 14th century in Ireland and England and may have originated in the Irish County of Limerick. It's origin is still debated. It was a form that was easy to write and remember in the times of oral traditions and they were often repeated in pubs and taverns by beggars and lower classes of the 15th -17th centuries. It might be said some of the poets were drunkards and so the poems were often bawdy or dirty for more cultured society.*Wink* They made people laugh as they made fun of life.

Some experts think that the only true limericks are the obscene and bawdy ones and yet the form itself was made popular in its less crude form.

"The limerick packs laughs anatomical
Into space that is quite economical.
But the good ones I've seen
So seldom are clean
And the clean ones so seldom are comical."


*Shamrock* Edward Lear wrote 212 limericks, 72 of which were published in his Book Of Nonsense in 1846 after Punch magazine had published examples of his poems. It was he who gave popularity to the form. Many of them were popular with children.

"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 nests in my beard."
Lear



Limerick form was often used in nursery rhymes like Mother Goose Classics.

"Hickory Dickory Dock
the mouse ran up the clock
the clock struck one
and down he did run
Hickory dickory dock."


*Shamrock* Many writers like Kipling, Lewis Carrol, Ogden Nash, Alfred Lord Tennyson and of course, Shakespeare enjoyed writing limericks. In 1564, Shakespeare used the form in King Lear and Othello. The Irish, with their love for poetry, made it their own.

"There was a young man from Killarney
who was chockfull of what is called blarney
He would sit in a stile
and tell lies by the mile
would this dreadful young man of Killarney."

~Lear


*Shamrock* In 1880 the first use of the name Limerick referring to a short funny lyric was used in a New Brunswick newspaper that went with the tune of the parlour game, "Will (or Won't) you come up to Limerick?"

In 1898 the term 'Limerick" was officially termed in the New England Dictionary but the form is much older.

*Shamrock* The Format *Shamrock*


This fun to read form has 5 lines with anapaestic meter (da da DUM)
From historic samples: Lines 1, 2, 5 have 7-10 syllables and rhyme with one another
Lines 3 and 4 have 5-7 syllables and rhyme with each other

The most common tradition in syllabication though is 8, 8, 5, 5, 8 or 9, 9, 6 ,6, 9. *Wink*

*Shamrock* Limericks also have a twist that may occur with the last line, serving to evoke more laughter.
Many show instances of assonance, alliteration and even internal rhyme or a word play. Getting a laugh is the purpose! *Laugh*

Many of the popular Limericks like Lear's "Man from Killarney" above, did not necessarily use the punch line as the humour. They use a variant of the first line in the final line and the humour is in the tension between the meaning and its lack. This style creates a circle and adds to the nonsensical effect. Others have the twist line at the end.

"There was a young lady named Harris,
Whom nothing could ever embarrass,
Till the bath salts one day
In the tub where she lay
Turned out to be plaster of Paris"


Themes in Limericks are varied now as well, from the bawdy insult, to the scientific! *Laugh*

"When astronomers shared Earth was lowly
not Heaven;s sweet center most holy
Philosophers grumbled
at theories crumbled
As one said, "I wish someone had Ptolemy."


I was amazed to find out that Leigh Mercer (1993-1977}, a word play and math expert, even created a parody of limerick using math equations--with the numbers! *Shock* Check it out here! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Mercer

*Shamrock*Summary *Shamrock*


So... 5 lines of fun
AAbbA rhyme, 9,9,6,6,9 syllable counts
a twist or nonsense image to make us laugh.
Add some word play or wizardry to flow for fun.
Simple, short, comment and play!

"Have fun and laugh. *Laugh*

*Shamrock*
A limerick should brighten your day
Be witty, perceptive and gay.
A neat little verse
Will do nothing worse
Than banish your bad blues away!
*Shamrock*


Hey, why not add a line here: *Wink*
IN & OUT
Linericks Open in new Window. (18+)
A Linerick is a Limerick written one piece at a time!
#986307 by deemac Author IconMail Icon



*Shamrock**Gold**Shamrock**Gold**Rainbowl**RainbowR*


*Shamrock*Cool sources I for these funny finds:

If you like a light bawdy Irish good time:
http://st-patricks-day.com/irish-jokes/aboutireland_jokes_bawdy_irish_limericks-...

http://www.webexhibits.org/poetry/explore_famous_limerick_examples.html
http://pun.me/pages/funny-limericks.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerick_(poetry)

History bits:
http://www.thehypertexts.com/The%20Best%20Limericks%20of%20All%20Time.htm


Editor's Picks

*Shamrock* Wow! Here is a Limerick Line up for Laughs! *Laugh*

A Limerick a Day for April 2016 Open in new Window. [18+]
A collection of prompted Limericks for National Poetry Month 2016
by deemac Author Icon

 Irish Spring Open in new Window. [13+]
An Irish limerick.
by Jatog the Green Author Icon

Uplifting! Open in new Window. [13+]
In honor of National Limerick Day.
by 🌕 HuntersMoon Author Icon

Wee (Wee) Stairs Open in new Window. [ASR]
Comicrick Limerick
by Maryann Author Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

 Seven Plots Limericks Open in new Window. [E]
Booker's Seven Basic Plots in Limerick Form
by Twiga Author Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

 
St. Patrick's Day Open in new Window. [E]
An Irish Limerick poem about an Irish holiday
by Chris Breva Author Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

 Caveat Emptor Open in new Window. [E]
Let the buyer beware! A Limerick for the WDC's Limericks, Limericks, Limericks contest.
by JACE Author Icon

 Three More Limericks Open in new Window. [E]
Blessed, happy and haunted
by Sharkdaddy Author Icon

 A Few Naughty Limericks!  Open in new Window. [18+]
a few cute limericks... fairly mild by my standards - no cursing
by Robin:TheRhymeMaven Author Icon

 Write Me Limerick! - March 2011 Open in new Window. [E]
Limericks contest
by Power Unit Author Icon

 Eight Limericks Open in new Window. [E]
Eight limericks I wrote for my emails just for the fun of it.
by Pony Tale Author Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

 Limericks about Polar Bears Open in new Window. [E]
Contest Entry
by LibraryPat Author Icon

 Write Me Limerick! - March 2011 Open in new Window. [E]
Limericks contest
by Power Unit Author Icon


Contest:
FORUM
The Comedy Club Contest Open in new Window. (E)
A Contest For The Funny Side Of Life. CLOSED
#1965952 by GeminiGem🐾 Author IconMail Icon

 
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Ask & Answer

*Shamrock* Now, your challenge and I will join you as I am no comic.
My little study showed me that maybe even I could have a little fun here.
It is the Ides of March so you have til March 20 to write a limerick and send it in the response box.
I will gift a Celtic Spirit Mb to the one that makes me laugh the most and get it highlighted in a newsletter too.


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