One form I like to try my hand at sometimes is the limerick. The limerick is a poem of 5 lines, with a particular rhyming scheme. The first, second and last (fifth) lines all rhyme with each other (last word of each line). The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other (again, last word of each line).

This poetic form is usually meant to be funny, and often gets a bit (or a lot) rude! It is usually written about a person, perhaps using that person’s name as the rhyming word in the first line.

The other important thing about the limerick is the number of stresses or beats in each line. In the first, second and fifth lines there should be three beats per line, in the third and fourth lines there should be two beats per line.

If that’s getting confusing for you, read my limerick here about Fred, who is now a happy chappy! Read it and get and understanding of the beats and rhymes.

There’s a guy I know called Fred,

says he wishes he was dead.

Then he got a new blonde

of whom he’s quite fond,

now he’s enjoying himself instead!

If you enjoyed this little poem, why not have a go at writing one yourself – you might be able to win yourself a great prize, if you get in quick! Check out the details by clicking this link:-

http://bookstove.com/poetry/limerick-second-free-competition-closes-on-12th-april-2011/