Five lines that don’t rhyme

There was a young lady from Slough
Who last year developed a cough
She wasn’t to know
It would last until now
Let’s hope the poor girl will pull through

Discovered upon my travels but failed to note who originally penned this. I’d like to think it was Niamh Buccleugh-Cholmondeley or perhaps even Eithne Greenough-Jervois.

A verse of…

• five lines
• the final word of the first, second and fifth line rhyme with one another
• the final word of the third and fourth line and rhyme with each other
• the first, second and fifth line contains nine syllables each line
• the third and fourth line six syllables each line
• the first, second and fifth are usually either anapaests or amphibrachs
• The third and fourth lines are usually anapaestic, or one iamb followed by one anapaest.

…is called a limerick. Why? Not sure. Most routes lead back to the city of Limerick in Ireland via a slip jig called ‘Kitty come down from Limerick’.