The origin of the Limerick is uncertain. I read that it was around in the thirteenth century, but the rhyming sequence was different, and so I ask, “Can they be called Limericks?”

Some sources say it came from an Irish soldiers’ song called “Will You Come up to Limerick.” People made up verses as it was sung.

They may also have been a way for people to remember things. It’s easier if there’s a known rhythm .

It was made popular in England by Edward Lear who wrote his “Book of Nonsense” in 1846, although he did not call his poems limericks, but Nonsense Verse.

Wherever the name and the poems came from, they are an important part of our culture, and the form appears from nursery rhymes to songs.

Limericks were typically rude and bawdy, but as this is a family-friendly website, I’ve kept mine clean. I hope you…