There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, “It is just as I feared!—
Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard.”
A Book of Nonsense (1846) | Edward Lear (1812–1888)
Suggestions
- Have students rewrite the limerick above changing a word here and there to create a new limerick.
- Find another limerick in Lear’s Book of Nonsense to copy.
- You’ll find many more suggestions and resources in the two additional resources below!
Additional Resources
14 Forms of Writing for the Older Student: Limericks
The limerick makes a fun, easy introduction to writing poetry.
The Limerick: A Unit Study
On May 12, 1812, Edward Lear was born. Lear was second to none in writing limericks. Limerick unit study resources.
