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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Limericks

Adare Manor, County Limerick, Ireland
Oh my! trying my hand at this form. Not as easy as you might think!

I.

For those who have given up dreams
For all who've abandoned their schemes
Keep your face to the sun
Know your race has begun
Turn your craft so it travels downstream

II.

To devise a new piece with design
Requires a keen mind to refine
For art's a honed task
Mistakes one can't mask
To learn it will always take time

III.

I knew a small boy who was shy
At parties he'd usually cry
When asked what was wrong
He'd resort to a song
'Twas the only way he could tell why

IV.
I knew a young girl who was sassy
Yet she yearned to be thought of as classy
She learned self restraint
She made no complaint
When neighbors still called her trashy
Posted by at

33 comments:

  1. MaureenMarch 22, 2012 at 8:43 AM

    You acquit yourself well, Gay. I like the humor in these.

    Nice shamrock background for them, too.

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  2. BeachannyMarch 22, 2012 at 12:18 PM

    Thanks Maureen! Appreciate your promoting the article.

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  3. AnonymousMarch 22, 2012 at 12:42 PM

    These are fantastic Gay. The second is so true and the fourth the quandry of so many women.

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  4. AnonymousMarch 22, 2012 at 1:04 PM

    Edward Lear gave the form a bad name by repeating the first line as the last. I like these.

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  5. Laurie KolpMarch 22, 2012 at 1:20 PM

    Limericks! They are fun and I agree... much harder to write than they look. I especially like the first two b/c of how inspiring they are. The second two or more along the lines of traditional limericks.

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  6. Brian MillerMarch 22, 2012 at 1:37 PM

    nice...i love these gay...and you def have some wisdom in there...i love the second as i think it so true...the art taking honing and mistakes...and i might have amade a few of my own on mine....lol...like the play in the last 2...

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  7. BeachannyMarch 22, 2012 at 1:41 PM

    Anna: So true and unfortunately not seeming to get better!
    Rumour: I guess that's true...Madeleine says that in the article about Lear.
    Laurie: I started with the bottom ones and worked my way to the top. It's all about rhythm here and making it make sense. I found it somewhat difficult.

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  8. Madeleine Begun KaneMarch 22, 2012 at 3:36 PM

    Good job! Your meter, the really tricky part, is excellent!

    Thanks for inviting me to write that article.

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  9. BeachannyMarch 22, 2012 at 3:45 PM

    Thanks Madeleine. Great article and I learned a lot..(and in the doing) found they're pretty addictive!

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  10. UnknownMarch 22, 2012 at 5:06 PM

    Nice job with these. You are so correct, definitely not as easy as I thought it would be. I remember trying this in the past, one of those forms you return to every once in a while, never quite getting it to the place you wanted it to. You definitely came up with some good ones here, really liked the last one a lot. Thanks

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  11. steveroniMarch 22, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    Gay, ya finally got a topic which I can do! Yours are good, you made then 'look' EASY!! Thanks for coming up with this marvelous idea...I would have thought there'd be 101 entries by now :-(

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  12. BeachannyMarch 22, 2012 at 5:36 PM

    Thanks Fred. The rhythms do get easier with practice; however, getting that "punch"..the joke. That's what I'm miserable at doing.

    Steve..over to see you in a bit. Thanks for saying they look easy. Yes, we've wanted her to do the article on limericks for some time. Sam Peralta will be co-hosting with me from now on, and he's a genius with forms. There will be lots of new ones coming your ways. I'm a bit sad that more aren't playing these days with form, too. I feel I may have let people down with all that's been going on in my life and my falling down on getting by to read all my friends; it will be a big boon having Sam on board. But I'll still be here every other time, hosting or writing and I still have a few ideas up my sleeve. Thanks for participating Steve. You know you're always welcome here! (Love still seeing that violin (of ours) on your site.)

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  13. AnonymousMarch 22, 2012 at 7:56 PM

    You fared very well with this form of course you know I love d the first one.It's quiet inspiring.

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  14. SemaphoreMarch 22, 2012 at 8:01 PM

    I know of a poet named Gay
    Who wrote verses like potters mold clay.
    Since they flowed from the heart
    Even limericks were art,
    And her verses like fine cloisonné.

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    Replies
    1. BeachannyMarch 22, 2012 at 8:18 PM

      Oh, Sam. That's so fine I'll put it in my diary. Thank you!Thank you!

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    2. Frank WatsonMarch 22, 2012 at 9:54 PM

      Beautiful comment!

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    3. Brian MillerMarch 22, 2012 at 10:27 PM

      smiles.

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    4. ClaudiaMarch 23, 2012 at 1:49 PM

      ah...sam is awesome...and so are you gay... i like them all but esp. I and II are just great

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  15. Ginny BrannanMarch 22, 2012 at 8:32 PM

    Limericks with food for thought!! Great job, Gay! (Loving your blog, all decked out in shamrocks!)

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  16. BeachannyMarch 22, 2012 at 9:35 PM

    Thanks Ginny. I know. I do like to carry on a theme. It's the party girl in me!

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  17. PattiKenMarch 22, 2012 at 10:08 PM

    These are great, Gay. The first two really spoke to me. There is a powerful message there to those of us chasing the dream of being a better writer. I think I want a sampler to hang over my desk.

    Thank you for your kind words on my offering. You're right. might be a good idea for the happy couple to keep their clothes on at the beach. :-)

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  18. UnknownMarch 22, 2012 at 10:21 PM

    Gay, you bring class to the lowly limerick. A fine touch of the green to make us that much wiser with Irish charm!

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  19. BeachannyMarch 22, 2012 at 10:29 PM

    Ah, it's good to have you here. Thank all of you for your kind comments. Wasn't it grand to have Madeleine at the pub tonight? We all learned something and found with a little effort and some funny or fun thoughts this kind of poem can be addictive. Appreciate all your words. Come back to see me anytime!

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  20. Linda KruschkeMarch 23, 2012 at 12:19 AM

    Nice limericks! No. III was my favorite. Poor boy. Peace, Linda

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  21. hyperCRYPTICalMarch 23, 2012 at 5:38 AM

    Excellent - the last made me laugh! :o]

    Anna :o]

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  22. James RainsfordMarch 23, 2012 at 5:51 AM

    What talent! Loved all of them.

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  23. kaykualaMarch 23, 2012 at 9:21 AM

    This is great, Gay! 3 at one sitting. How nice!

    Hank

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  24. Frank WatsonMarch 23, 2012 at 1:50 PM

    Your verse was so upbeat
    Staying positive is such a feat
    When life gets wound
    It’s easy to go down
    So that’s why your words are a treat

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  25. sheilaMarch 23, 2012 at 7:44 PM

    great job - the meter is so flawless (something I still struggle with.)

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  26. BeachannyMarch 23, 2012 at 8:05 PM

    Hey Sheila. I think for me was Mad's discussing the number of stressed beats. I didn't consider whether they were anapests or iambs. I just figured if AB&E had 3 hard or stressed beats and C&D had 2, it worked and it mostly did! Thanks for saying so.

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  27. Maude LynnMarch 23, 2012 at 8:05 PM

    Well done! I just love that last one!

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  28. Rosemary Nissen-WadeMarch 23, 2012 at 9:35 PM

    These are terrific! (What fun we've all had with this prompt.)

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  29. Randy BehaviorMarch 23, 2012 at 10:58 PM

    The first was my fav :)

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