BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Creativity New article on Limericks and their uses

This article: Limericks have many uses starts:

"Limerick poetry is another fine tool to boost your creativity. It�s short, it�s free and it�s easily doable. It�s also fun, often being called �nonsense poetry�."



Do you have a favorite limerick you'd like to share with us?

Or - write one to share with us - oh, go on....

Great article. I remember studying limericks years ago. Wasn't there a guy named Ogden or something like that who wrote limericks also?

Glad you liked the article, Angie!

You're right - Ogden Nash sounds like he was a fascinating man - maybe I should do an article just on him at some later date. Apparently he used to think in terms of rhyme, and if he couldn't find a suitable rhyming word, he would make one up.

Here's a limierck of his:

There was an old man of Calcutta,
Who coated his tonsils with butta,
Thus converting his snore
From a thunderous roar
To a soft, oleaginous mutta.

Good one.

too funny! As I recall, he was a master of limericks.

He was a master of humorous - rhyming - poetry of all kinds.

Another one of his limericks:

A flea and a fly in a flue
Were imprisoned, so what could they do?
Said the fly, "let us flee!"
"Let us fly!" said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

And a not-limerick:


Celery, raw
Develops the jaw,
But celery, stewed,
Is more quietly chewed.

great post! Southey did the ones about what little girls and boys are made of. They became very famous!

Thanks for that, Pepper! I looked it up and found so many more verses than I had ever realized existed...

What are little babies made of, made of?
What are little babies made of?
Diapers and crumbs and sucking their thumbs;
That's what little babies are made of?

What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails;
That's what little boys are made of.


What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice;
That's what little girls are made of.

What are young men made of, made of?
What are young men made of?
Sighs and leers and crocodile tears;
That's what young men are made of.

What are young women made of, made of?
What are young women made of?
Rings and jings and other fine things; Sugar and spice and all things nice;
That's what young women are made of. And such are...

What are our sailors made of, made of?
What are our sailors made of?
Pitch and tar, pig-tail and scar;
That's what our sailors are made of.

What are our soldiers made of, made of?
What are our soldiers made of?
Pipeclay and drill, the foeman to kill;
That's what our soldiers are made of.

What are our nurses made of, made of?
What are our nurses made of?
Bushes and thorns and old cow's horns;
That's what our nurses are made of.

What are our fathers made of, made of?
What are our fathers made of?
Pipes and smoke and collars choke;
That's what our fathers are made of.

What are our mothers made of, made of?
What are our mothers made of?
Ribbons and laces and sweet pretty faces;
That's what our mothers are made of.

What are old men made of, made of?
What are old men made of?
Slippers that flop and a bald-headed top;
That's what old men are made of.

What are old women made of, made of?
What are old women made of?
Reels, and jeels, and old spinning wheels;
That's what old women are made of?

What are all folks made of, made of?
What are all folks made of?
Fighting a spot and loving a lot,
That's what all folks are made of.