Limerist Fit, Non Nascitur
"Oh, How shall I write my first lim?
I would learn to write verses with vim;
You told me one time,
'To have wit is sublime.'
Won't you, Sir, give me one paradigm?"
The graybeard looked up and was glad
When he heard the bold words from the lad,
'True, humdrum he's not,
Nor dawdles a lot;
I suppose I could teach him a tad.'
"You would learn of the verse that's melodic,
Before you've had schooling methodic?
I can see you're no fool,
There is only one rule:
You must first learn to be a quixotic.
"A limerick's best writ from the back,
It's there you will put your wise crack;
Make *this* line the first
That you'll write in your thirst
To ensure you are on the right track.
"It will always consist of three feet,
With a 'Night before Christmas'-like beat;
You can think of this verse
If your meter sounds worse
Than the caterwaul calls from the street.
"Now the last you have got in the bag,
Use the first four to trigger the gag:
One & two rhyme with five,
Three & four both will strive
To echo each other like tag.
"Recalling the feet of the final ..."
He mused, while massaging his rhinal,
"Though line three and line four
Have dimeter score,
The rest are decidedly trinal."
"So if speaking of pies made of mutton,
We could say they are crafted from cuttin'
The fleecy flock's dreams
To silence their screams
And feed them to Lecter, the Glutton?"
"Why, yes," said the elderly gent,
"That example is just what I meant."
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