Limerick: A five line poem in which the 1st, 2nd and 5th lines rhyme as do the 3rd and 4th lines. Used frequently in creative poetry books, video games, riddles, and even crosswords.

I know that some people feel as though poetry is not their cup of tea, so to speak. But, poetry is just another place to hang out. You can let your worries run free and create something turly beautiful; a masterpiece! But even if you love poetry, it can be difficult. You may not know how to start a poem, how to follow form, you may be lacking in vocabulary perhaps… and the list goes on! But follow these five steps and you can write great poems; this time, specifically Limericks.

Here is an example of a Limerick:

There once was an ogre with a wish

Who had all the grace of a fish

His motley crew

Will pay me my due

Or all this will end with a squish!!!!!

Now, this is how you create one!

1. Think of a topic. You have to know what your poem is going to be about. It has to be a topic that you know something about: perhaps fishing or hiking. It doesn’t matter! Just as long as you enjoy writing about it and have some knowledge.
2. Get to know rhyming skills! After all, a Limerick is a form of poetry that requires rhymes. If you get really desperate, go online to websites like RhymeZone and use them for a variety of purposes. They have definitions, synonyms, and antonyms too, which can be really useful for budding authors when developing vocabularies.
3. Start a draft. No matter how good you think you are as an author, you MUST MUST MUST plan it out. This is so important because if you forget you’re idea, then you have lost a possible masterpiece that could have been great. So, drafting, brainstorming, planning – whatever you want to call it – it is absolutely imperative.
4. Then, write it out as an official poem, using the same format as I did above. Feel free to use my model if you need help starting at first.
5. Edit. Check it over! If you make a mistake, then you can correct it as soon as you identify it. But to identify it, you have to check it over.

That’s it! You’ll soon be on you’re way to writing perfect poetry with these five easy steps. And always remember to practice! That’s how you get better. Soon, you won’t need my example; you will have a vast selection of your own!

~Matthew Shorten aka Ancientmage