voyager wrote:
it has the correct amount of stressed syllables, which is what counts in a limerick. or my name's not Patty O'Furniture.
(edit: okay, i guess that's oversimplifying, but i'm pretty sure you're allowed to have anywhere from zero to two unstressed syllables before the first stress in each line. correct me if i'm wrong.)
You're both right. The first requirement of a limerick is the rhyme scheme - AABBA. That one's unbreakable, except for comedy reasons.
The second requirement is the syllable count, but this one is not quite as strictly enforced when limericks are spoken aloud, as you can adjust the meter that way.
Technically, the syllable count should follow the same as the rhyme scheme - AABBA. With A being anywhere from 7-9 and B being 4-6 (guidelines), but A and B remaining consistent. However, this rule tends to be bent on occasion. It's usually excused if you're making up limericks in a hurry...
...and this one was written in forty three seconds total
So I claim that as my excuse. The mud one was written in fifty two seconds.
I posted my lines to the forum
They were not met with decorum
It made them all bored
The syllables - flawed!
But still, you've gotta adore'em
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[Last edited by calamarain at 06-03-2007 02:37 PM]