Serious Limerick
Summary: Write a limerick regarding a more serious and somber topic (i. e. love, heartbreak, loss, death, cycles, identity, etc.) that follows the classic limerick structure.
Judge: Plume
How to Enter: Post your limerick below, along with your team name (if you're on a team). It can be formatted and visually advanced however you wish, as long as the actual text follows the classic pattern of a limerick. Please enspoiler your entry like this:
- Code: Select all
[spoiler]text here[/spoiler]
Description:
A limerick is a poem with an A/A/B/B/A rhyme scheme. It usually has a very rhythmic flow to it and conjures up a very playful and whimsical vibe. The rhyming lines should have the around the same number of syllables, with the two "B" lines having fewer syllables than the "A" lines. For a shorter limerick, the pattern is generally 8/8/5/5/8, though you can add more or less if you want. For reference, here are some examples of limericks.
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!"
Above is an example written by Edward Lear of a shorter limerick, with a simple 8/8/5/5/8 pattern. You should be able to get the idea of how limericks are meant to flow from it.
There once was a man from Nantucket,
Who kept all of his cash in a bucket,
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.
This one is a slightly longer limerick in terms of syllables, using a 9/10/6/6/9 pattern (also displaying how syllables in rhyming lines don't always have to match). One more thing: I know that in both of these examples the last word of the first line and the last word of the last line are the same, but that doesn't need to always be the case.
Generally, most limericks focus on a character or situation intending to be weird or humorous in some way, evidenced by the examples above. However, this challenge calls on you to create the exact opposite. Your poem can be as metaphorical or as literal as you wish, as long as it focuses on a more serious topic. For ideas about a topic, you could research and pick out a literary theme, or take inspiration from your life and environment! Multiple stanzas are allowed, but remember, quality over quantity! I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Ends: 8/5/2021 00:00 GMT (automatically adjusted to your timezone)
If you have any questions, post them in the discussion topic!
