Competiton 28: Culinary Limericks Revisited

[maggiethecat]

This is the Smackdown that won't die: I swear I've seen more entries on the Limerick thread after the old competition closed than before. Limericks just rattle around in your head -- Isaac Asimov published a book of Limericks while he was doing serious reseach and writing books and columns. My father wrote two hundred in two days. It's just fun.

I'm (re?) publishing the hoary and perfect culinary Limerick here to remind you about scan and rhyme scheme. I'll take points off for sloppy.

A gentleman dining in Crewe

Found a rather large mouse in his stew.

Said the waiter: "Don't shout!

Or wave it about

Or the rest will be wanting one too."

Please don't post your entries on this topic -- please use this thread. Anything you've contirubuted since the long-ago awarding of prizes can be copied and pasted there.

This is a fun interim Smackdown -- watch this space in the next few weeks for the new model.

Deadline poets: November 1, 2006.

[Carrot Top]

I am curious, if anyone would care to share their thoughts, in the ways in which people get their inspiration to start on writing a limerick.

Take, for example, Simon . It appears that Simon can start from any old word or idea whatsoever, then go flying about with it, and very quickly too.

I seem to get stuck on the name of a "place" then have to fit everything else into that.

Do others have other ways they get started?

[Carrot Top]

I'm (re?) publishing the hoary and perfect culinary Limerick here to remind you about scan and rhyme scheme.  I'll take points off for sloppy.

A gentleman dining in Crewe

Found a rather large mouse in his stew.

Said the waiter: "Don't shout!

Or wave it about

Or the rest will be wanting one too."

←

A question, Maggie - as this is the first time I've ever tried writing a limerick. (And am loving it - I find myself chuckling over stupid rhyme schemes as I drive along in the car, and people look in the windows at me and break into grins themselves to see the obviously crazy yet happy woman. . . ):

The "scan and rhyme scheme" above has a certain number of syllables in each line. Is this supposed to be a set number or is it flexible?

Also is a Legal Limerick (ha!) supposed to be only one verse?

Please forgive the stupid questions. I will try to ask more intelligent questions at some other time.

[Simon_S]

I am curious, if anyone would care to share their thoughts, in the ways in which people get their inspiration to start on writing a limerick.

←

It's funny you should ask this, Karen, because I was wondering the same thing.

In my case, I find the subject matter itself to be the most difficult part. Once I have the idea to work with, I can generally move things on from there. To be honest, I keep thinking it's like making sausages. Once I have the meat, I just grind it up with other stuff and keep squeezing and squeezing until it looks the right shape and fits the structure properly. Artistic questions don't come into it!!

Incidentally, as regards the Limerick "rules" there was a good link posted before: here it is! This helped me a lot, cos I didn't know the allowable numbers of syllables, etc.

I'm not sure if I'm cheating by leaving out place names half the time? They're probably not legal Limericks at all. Still, I'm enjoying myself, and it sure beats workin'!

Si

[edited for clarity]

Edited October 27, 2006 by Simon_S (log)

[Carrot Top]

To be honest, I keep thinking it's like making sausages. Once I have the meat, I just grind it up with other stuff and keep squeezing and squeezing

←

Hmmm.

So the link on formalizing the "how to's" of limericks says that anipestic, amphimacers, and feet have something to do with it. Sounds like a disease.

And here all this time I thought limerick writing had to do with spending liberal amounts of time in pubs drinking lots of beer and singing when the spirit struck one.

[Carrot Top]

I'm not sure if I'm cheating by leaving out place names half the time? They're probably not legal Limericks at all. Still, I'm enjoying myself, and it sure beats workin'!

←

"Deadline" is November 1st, Simon. Wednesday. Five full more days where work can be avoided. I intend to try very hard to avoid all work. Hope you join me in this important task.

[Simon_S]

"Deadline" is November 1st, Simon. Wednesday. Five full more days where work can be avoided. I intend to try very hard to avoid all work. Hope you join me in this important task. 

←

It was a holiday weekend here in Ireland, which means I haven't seen a computer since Friday afternoon. Mercifully, I've stopped thinking in anapests and feet in the interim!

Si

[Cour de Suisse]

I'm (re?) publishing the hoary and perfect culinary Limerick here to remind you about scan and rhyme scheme.  I'll take points off for sloppy.

A gentleman dining in Crewe

Found a rather large mouse in his stew.

Said the waiter: "Don't shout!

Or wave it about

Or the rest will be wanting one too."

←

A question, Maggie - as this is the first time I've ever tried writing a limerick. (And am loving it - I find myself chuckling over stupid rhyme schemes as I drive along in the car, and people look in the windows at me and break into grins themselves to see the obviously crazy yet happy woman. . . ):

A limerick is indeed to be written in a strict format in iambic pentameter in just the configuration provided above. The challenge is in fitting the subject matter to the format...

The "scan and rhyme scheme" above has a certain number of syllables in each line. Is this supposed to be a set number or is it flexible?

Also is a Legal Limerick (ha!) supposed to be only one verse?

Please forgive the stupid questions. I will try to ask more intelligent questions at some other time.

←

[maggiethecat]

Hey, Cour:

A limerick's typically a one-off verse, but I can't imagine why it couldn't be as long as Beowulf. In fact, I think B would have been improved in limerick form.

The rhyme scheme isn't iambic pentameter -- just check out the example. I think maybe trochees are involved. But just think : Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh.

And send us a limerick!