Artful Journeys - Week #19

Happy weekend everyone. Betty here this week to clue you in to this week's prompt and give you some encouragement!

This week, your prompt is to write and incorporate a limerick onto a journal page. 

A limerick?  Yes, we want you to really use your brain for some old fashioned writing fun.  Incorporating your own writing onto your journal pages is important, even if just as a writing exercise.

A Limerick is defined as a form of poetry, especially one in 5-line anapestic (2 short syllables followed by a long one) meter with a strict rhyme scheme (AABBA) which is sometimes obscene with humorous intent.  The 1st, 2nd and 5th lines are usually longer than the 3rd and 4th.  Lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme and lines 3 & 4 rhyme.  Limericks usually contain puns or wordplay.  The invention of Limericks are generally attributed to Edward Lear (1812-1888) who was an English humorist and painter.  If you look at a selection of limericks you will see that by today's standards, they are really not obscene, but rather a little risque' or perhaps even bawdy.  During the heyday of Limericks, many of these poems certainly might have been considered "obscene".

Limerick expert Don Marquis identifies 3 types of Limericks:

1. A limerick that is told when ladies are present
2. A limerick that is told when ladies are absent but clergymen are present
3. Limericks

You can find all sort and manner of examples of Limericks on Google.  If you choose to illustrate your limerick on your journal page, all the better.  But write a limerick you must. Have some fun with it and push that creative envelope.  I think you will see that we certainly did!  Please don't just copy someone else's Limerick and add it to your page.  We really want you to write your own.  If you study the rhythmic meter of a limerick, you will see that they are really quite easy.  I wrote mine is less than 5 minutes.

Here's a sneak peek at my (Betty) spread for the week.  I hope that it brings you a laugh and a smile.  You can see the full spread and my limerick here

Melody made a fantastic limerick and spread.  All bright and vivid, and oh, so funny.  Go check it out here

 

Lynn and Tamie were otherwise engaged this week, so Melody and I will have to serve as your inspiration this week.  We hope you can take something positive from our spreads and then wow us with your Limerick and fun journal page.

We're keeping it artful!!

ARTFUL CHICKS
Betty, Melody, Tamie & Lynn