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Writing Silly Limericks

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Writing Silly Limericks

On a train journey, Keira, Nathan and Ari decide to write limericks about the odd things they spot. Read the examples, solve the rhyme puzzles, then write your own silly five-line poem. Check that your rhymes and rhythm work when you read it aloud.

Spot the limerick pattern

A limerick usually has five lines. Lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme with one another; lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other. The first, second and fifth lines are usually longer than the third and fourth. The rhythm often has a bouncy beat, and the ending delivers a surprise.

1.Keira reads this poem aloud: “A penguin who travelled by train / Kept a teapot strapped onto its cane. / It poured out some tea / For a sleepy bumblebee / Then asked for a ticket to Spain.” Which description best fits its rhyme scheme?

AABBA: lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme; lines 3 and 4 rhyme
ABABA: every other line rhymes
ABCDE: every line has a new rhyme
AAAAA: all five lines rhyme

2.Which pair of lines in the example above forms the shorter middle couplet?

3.Nathan suggests these endings for line 5: “Then it fell asleep on the train”, “And it ordered a bright purple shoe”, and “While the moon ate a plateful of glue.” Which ending rhymes with both “train” and “cane”?

4.Complete the couplet with a word that rhymes with “seat” and makes the event sound silly: “A snail took the conductor’s seat / Then tap-danced along to the .”

Build your rhyme engine

A strong limerick does more than attach matching end words: its lines tell a tiny story. Choose a character, give them an unusual action, and let the final line deliver a funny twist.

5.Ari’s first line ends with “glove”. Which set contains two words that both rhyme with “glove” and could help make a comic rhyme?

above, shove
move, prove
love, stove
glow, snow

6.Make a rhyme bank for a limerick about a robot on a train. Write three words that rhyme with “track”. (Some words may be more useful or fun than others.)

7.Improve this line so it ends with a word that rhymes with “chair” and adds a surprising detail: “A kiwi bird sat in a ______.” Write one possible ending phrase.

8.Label the end words in this draft with A or B to show its rhyme pattern: “A bear wore a hat on the train / It balanced a spoon on a cane / It juggled three pies / For two startled flies / Then waved as they crossed the plain.”

Write and polish

Draft a complete limerick about a character on a train journey. Keep the AABBA pattern, make lines 3 and 4 shorter, and include a comic surprise. You may use the planning prompts, but create your own poem.

9.Plan your poem: Who is your character, where are they travelling, and what unexpected thing do they do? Add an A rhyme bank for lines 1, 2 and 5, and a B rhyme for lines 3 and 4.

10.Write your five-line limerick. Put one line on each line below. Check the AABBA rhyme scheme and make the ending funny or surprising.

11.Read your poem aloud and revise one line. Write the original line, your improved line, and explain how the change strengthens the rhyme, rhythm or joke.