Edward Lear popularized the Limerick, which is usually a witty, lively story in the form of a poem, that follows a strict rhyme scheme of (A A B B A) . He wrote fantastic poems such as these about whimsical nonsense. He was born as the youngest of 21 children! He also suffered from severe epilepsy, poor eyesight, asthma, and bronchitis. Though he had so many things to bring him down, he persevered and traveled for a lot of his life, seeing almost all of Italy. Eventually, he settled down in a place he called villa Tennyson. Lastly, he died in San Remo, 1888. Though his poems were meant for little children, they were also an escape from his life long melancholy.
Example of one of Edward Lear’s Limericks:
- There was an Old Man with a beard, (A)
- Who said, “It is just as I feared!” (A)
- Two Owls and a Hen, (B)
- Four Larks and a Wren, (B)
- Have all built their nests in my beard! (A)
— Edward Lear
