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UNIT 4 : LIMERICKS - RHYME AND RHYTHM
Key Unit Competence:
To be able to identify and analyse limericks referring to their rhythm, rhyme and other poetic devices used.
Questions
1. What is the poem about?
2. Describe the unique features that you notice in this poem.
3. Identify and explain the poetic devices used in the poem.
4. What kind of poem is this? Why?
Note: A limerick is a humorous, nonsensical poem that contains five-lines with a specific rhyme scheme. Limerick poetry is also often referred to as nonsense poetryand it is typically used for fun and entertaining events. It is said to have started in Ireland. Limericks are often characterised by use of humour, exaggeration/ hyperbole and a strict rhyme scheme of AA BB A. A standard limerick has the following features.
A stanza with five lines, no more, no less.
Made up ofthirty nine syllables in total.
Its structure is 9-9-6-6-9. The first, the second and the fifth lines are long and rhyme.
Those three lines have three feet of three syllables each.
The third and fourth lines are shorter and they rhyme too.
The two lines have only two feet of three syllables.
Have rhyme which creates a rhythmic pattern.
Are often humorous/ funny and sometimes obscene.
4.1 Rhyme
Activity 4.1
Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
In the future, the worst kind of crime,
Will be working the streets as a mime,
If you paint your face white,
They’ll arrest you on sight,
An example of justice sublime.
Questions
1. What is the speaker talking about in the poem?
2. Who is being addressed in the poem?
3. What do you notice about the endings of the lines in this limerick?
4. Describe the rhyme scheme of the poem.
Note: Rhyme is a repetition of similar sounding words (or the same sounds) in two or more words, most often in the final syllables or lines in poems and songs. A rhyme is a tool that uses repeating patterns to create rhythm or musicality in poems. This differentiates poems from prose, which is plain. A rhyme is used for a specific purpose of giving a pleasing effect to a poem, which makes its recital an enjoyable experience. This makes memorization of the poem easy. All limericks have the same end rhyme scheme which is AABBA.
Application Activity
Activity 4.1
Read the poem below and answer the questions.
Death, be Not Proud
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom you think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor death, nor canst thou kill me
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure-then from thee much more must flow;
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones and soul‘s delivery.
You art slave to fate, chance, king and desperate men,
And dost your poison and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke. Why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we make eternally,
And death shall be no more. Death, thou shalt die
John Donne ( England)
Questions
1. What is the subject matter of this poem?
2. Who is the poet addressing in this poem?
3. Describe the rhyme scheme used in the poem.
4. Compare and contrast the poem above with limerick poems.
5. Discuss the effects of rhyme in this poem.
4.2 Rhythm
Activity 4.2
Read the poem below and answer the questions.
There was an Old Person whose habits,
Induced him to feed upon rabbits;
When he’d eaten eighteen,
He turned perfectly green,
Upon which he relinquished those habits.
Questions
1. What is the poem about?
2. According to you, what does the phrase “Upon which he relinquished those habbits” mean?
3. Narrate a situation when you had to stop a certain habit. What habit was it? How did you manage to stop it?
4. How many feet and syllables are there in each line of the poem above?
5. Describe the effect of rhythm in the poem.
Note: The word rhythm is derived from the Greek word, rythmos which means, “Measured motion.” Rhythm can also be referred to as a literally device that demonstrates the long and short patterns through stressed and unstressed syllables, particularly in verse poems. For example, if you read any limerick poem out loud, you will hear that it has a musical kind of beat. That is rhythm. That rhythm is also called meter.
Rhythm is an important part of the structure of a poem. In writing poetry, rhythm acts as a beat in music. Every poem that is not free verse has a type of rhythm. The use of rhythm in poetry arises from the need to express some words more strongly than others. They might be stressed for a longer period of time. Hence, the repeated use of rhythmical patterns produces rhythmical effect, which sounds pleasant to the mind as well as to the soul. Rhythm is used to captivate the readers by giving musical effect to a literary piece. Below is an example of the rhythm structure in a limerick.
Application Activity 4.2
Read the poem below and answer the questions.
Drought
Heat, all-pervading, crinkles up the soil;
A deathly silence numbs the molten air;
On beds of rives, island scorched and bare,
Warm scavengers of wind heap up the soil;
And wide eyed oxen, gaunt and spent with toil,
Huddled together near some shrunken pool…
Pant for the shade of trees and pastures cool.
Lashing their tails at flies they cannot foil.
Whilst overhead, the sun-god drives his way
Through halting hours of blinding, blazing light,
Until his shining steeds a moment stays
And disappear behind the gates of night.
And still, no rain. A cloudless, starlit sky
Watches the veldt and all thinks droop and die.
Denys Lefebvre
Source: Growing up with Poetry, an anthology for Secondary Schools, Edited by David Rubadiri.
Questions
1. What is the subject matter of this poem?
2. What kind of poem is this? Why?
3. Discuss the effect of rhythm in poetry.
4. Write a short poem about the environmental disaster that you have ever experienced or heard about.
4.3 Poetic Devices
4.3.1 Hyperbole
Activity 4.3.1
Read the poem below and answer questions about it.
There once was a young lady named bright
Whose speed was much faster than light
She set out one day In a relative way
And returned on the previous night.
Anonymous
Questions
1. What is the poem about?
2. a) What does the poet mean by “Whose speed was much faster than light”?
b) Why do you think the poet has used this statement?
3. 3.Assess the effect of hyperbole in limericks.
Note: Hyperbole refers to the use of overstatement or exaggeration for the purpose of creating emphasis or humor, but it is not intended to be taken literally. In our daily conversation, we use hyperbole to create an amusing effect, or to emphasize our meaning. For example, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, ’It’s been ages since I last saw you.’ You may not have met him for three or four hours, or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your waiting. However, in literature, a writer or a poet uses hyperbole to make common human feelings remarkable and intense to such an extent that they do not remain ordinary. The usage of hyperbole develops contrasts. When one thing is described with an over-statement, and the other thing is presented normally, a contrast is developed. This poetic device is employed to catch the reader’s attention.
Application Activity 4.3.1
Read the poem below and answer questions that follow.
Psalm 23, Part II
The State is my shepherd,
I shall not want; it makes me
to lie down in a subsidised house.
It leads me into political tranquillity;
it restores my faith in a lucrative future.
It leads me into paths of loans and pensions,
for its international reputation’s sake.
Yea , even though I walk through
the valley of the shadow Of kivvulu
I will fear no kondos; For the State is with me ,
its tanks and guns comfort me .
If it preserves for me a bank account,
in the presence of devaluation;
It fills my pocket with allowances,
my salary overflows. Surely increments
and promotion shall follow me all the days
of my life; And I shall dwell in senior staff quarters for ever.
Timothy Wangusa
Source: Growing up with poetry, Page 64
Questions
1. What is the subject matter of this poem?
2. Compare and contrast the use of hyperbole in poem above with hyperbole used in limericks.
3. Compare and contrast this poem with the Psalm 23 in the Bible.
4.3.2 Euphemism
Activity 4.3.2
Read the poem below and answer questions.
There once was a farmer from Leeds,
Who swallowed a packet of seeds.
It soon came to pass,
He was covered with grass,
But has all the tomatoes he needs
Anonymous
Questions
1. What is the subject matter of the poem?
2. What do you think the writer means by this?“It soon came to pass…He was covered with grass”
3. What poetic devices has the poet used to put across the message?
Note: Euphemism refers to a use of polite language with the purpose of not offending or appearing unpleasant. It is used to mislead the readers/listeners’ understanding trying to spare their feelings about reality. Euphemism depends largely on the social context of the speakers and writers, where they feel the need to replace certain words that may prove embarrassing for particular listeners or readers in a particular situation.
Euphemism helps writers convey those ideas that have become a social taboo, and are too embarrassing to mention directly. Writers skillfully choose appropriate words to refer to and discuss a subject indirectly that otherwise might not be published due to strict social censorship, such as for reasons of religious fanaticism, political theories, sexuality, and death. Euphemism is therefore a useful tool that allows writers to write figuratively about difficult issues.
Application activity 4.3.2
Read the poem below and answer questions that follow.
The guns of Gaborone
June the month of shivering
by the fire side we were clustered
like winter chicken dried saliva
had trickled to our ears and our knees
were pressed to our chins enemy fell
on us like locust at sun set
Gaborone Shook with
amazed surprise Man and home
crumbled into nothingness
Ten and more died for no provocation
June, Wrapt us with a riddled blanket
You, Unfortunate,
You are cursed,
Terrorist,
Butcher
Who refuses to acknowledge life
Has set like the sun
Do you know that
I have Stronger-armed brothers,
my defenders, your age mates
Who will ask you questions
with the whisky of the whip?
I was there
You were
I listened You were dumb
The country was bathed in blood
Gatwe It is said That
The bottle is informed
By integrity But you lacked ears
Tell me –
Does your book have the story of
David and Goliath? You who died
Sleep in peace Banabathari e ntsho
A luta continua Lo e lole
You have fought
Grace Setlalekgosi (Botswana)
Source: Growing up with poetry Page 73-74
Questions
1. What is the poet talking about?
2. Discuss how the poet has used euphemism.
3. Why do you think the poet has opted for using euphemism?
4. Analyse other poetic devices used in the poem.
4.3.3 Juxtaposition
Activity 4.3.3
Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
Do not go gentle into that good night
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas
Questions
1. Analyse the subject matter of the poem
2. Dylan Thomas uses words like crying and dancing.... sad and grieved... together in the poem. What is this poetic device? What do you think he is trying to achieve by using this poetic devices?
3. Describe other poetic devices that the poet has used to express his idea.
Note: Juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem, for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts. In literature, juxtaposition is a useful device for writers to portray their characters in great detail, to create suspense, and to achieve a rhetorical effect. It is a human quality to comprehend one thing easily by comparing it to another. Poets use juxtaposition to highlight differences between two words or idea. For example, a writer can make readers sense “goodness” in a particular character by placing him or her side-by-side with a character that is predominantly “evil.” Consequently, goodness in one character is highlighted by evil in the other character. Juxtaposition in this case is useful in the development of characters.
Application Activity 4.3.3
Read the following poem and answer questions about it.
Some Days
Some days I put the people in
their places at the table,
bend their legs at the knees,
if they come with that feature,
and fix them into the tiny wooden chairs.
All afternoon they face one another,
the man in the brown suit,
the woman in the blue dress,
perfectly motionless,
perfectly behaved. But other days,
I am the one who is lifted up by the ribs,
then lowered into the dining room of a dollhouse
to sit with the others at the long table.
Very funny,
but how would you like it if you never knew
from one day to the next if you were going
to spend it striding around like a vivid god,
your shoulders in the clouds,
or sitting down there amidst the wallpaper,
staring straight ahead with your little plastic face?
Billy Collins
Questions
1. What is the poet talking about?
2. Discuss how the poet has used juxtaposition in the poem.
3. Why do you think the poet has opted for use of juxtaposition?
4. Compare and contrast this poem and with limericks.
4.3.4. Litotes
Activity 4.3.4
Read the poem below Fire and Ice by Robert Frost” and answer the questions that follow.
Fire and Ice
“Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if I had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great And would suffice.”
Robert Frost
Questions
1. What is the subject matter of the poem?
2. Describe the unique features you notice about this poem.
3. Explain the poetic device has the poet used to put across the message.
4. What do you think the writer intends to mean in the last line of the poem?
Note: Litotes is a poetic device which is a form of understatement in which sentiment is expressed ironically by negating its contrary. Poets opt to use litotes to invocate the absence of thing or quality to soften harsh phrases, and sometimes for a bitingly ironic touch. For example, “He’s not bad looking” could express that someone is gorgeous—or could convey that he’s neither particularly ugly nor attractive. The degree of emphasis depends on context. For instance, the commonly used phrase “not bad” can indicate that something is either average or excellent.
Along the same lines, litotes can be used to diminish the harshness of an observation; “He isn’t the cleanest person I know” could be used as a means of indicating that someone is a messy person.
Application activity 4.3.4
Read the poem below and answer questions that follow.
This limerick goes in verse
Unless I’m remiss
The neat thing is this:
If you start from the bottom- most verse
This limerick’s not any worse.
Zach Weiner
Questions
1. What is the poet talking about?
2. Why do you think the poet has opted for use of litotes to convey the message?
3. In the poem, extract the line that highlights litotes.
End Unit Assessment
Activity
1 Answer the following questions.
1. Define the following terms:
a. Limerick
b. Rhyme
c. Rhythm
2. Describe characteristics of limericks.
3. Compare and contrast limericks and elegy.
4. Explain the functions of Limericks
Activity 2
Read the following poem and answer questions that follow.
A fellow jumped off a high wall,
And had a most terrible fall.
He went back to bed,
With a bump on his head,
That’s why you don’t jump off a wall.
Questions
1. What is the main idea in the poem?
2. Identify the rhyme scheme in the poem and its effect.
3. Describe other poetic devices used in the poem
Activity 3
Choose a topic and write a limerick with all its features.