The Research of Characteristic Peculiarities of Limericks The author of the research work:Sonya CaplinaThe teacher:O.P. Nazaricova
Why is it necessary to research limericks? It’s necessary because nobody knows everything about them. The objects of the work are limericks as one of the funny children poems.The main task is to find out phonetic, lexical, syntax means of limericks.Why is this work special? I tried to analyze some limericks myself. I translated some of limericks.
Amusing Genre of Limericks. Limericks are certainly not a modern invention. In fact, they are so old; nobody is quite sure how they started. It was about 800 AD. In fact, a good limerick is not an easy thing to write. A limerick consists of five lines, with lines one, two and five being longer than the third and fourth lines. That seems easy enough. There are strict rules that must be followed in the construction of these lines. The keyword is meter. They contain hyperbole, onomatopoeia, idioms, puns and other figurative devices. The last line of a good limerick contains the punch line or heart of a joke. Limericks should generally follow proper rules of grammar and usage, with word orders as natural as possible.
British people are very fond of limericks – short humorous poems full of absurdity and wit. It usually begins by introducing a person and a place and often has a surprise in the last line. Here is an example : There was a young lady of Niger Who smiled as she rode on a tiger. They returned from the rideWith the lady insideAnd the smile of the face of the tiger.Learning limericks I was interested to know about the author of the limericks. I have found some facts about Lear’s biography.
Edward Lear was born in 1812 in London. He was the twentieth child of the family and had to earn his own living at the age of 15. When he was 19 he began to work as an artist at the zoo. The next year he published a book of coloured drawings of parrots. The Earl of Derby liked Lear’s work and invited him to stay with his family and paint the collection of his birds. Lear worked for him for four years, and it was during that period that he wrote his first limericks to amuse the Earl’s grandchildren. These nonsense verses were illustrated by charming pen drawings.
Edward Lear About Himself The Self-Portrait of the Laureate of Nonsense How pleasant to know Mr. Lear! Who has written such volumes of stuff! Some think him ill-tempered and queer, But a few think him pleasant enough. His mind is concrete and fastidious, His nose is remarkably big; His visage is more or less hideous, His beard it resembles a wig. He has ears, and two eyes, and ten fingers, Leastways if you reckon two thumbs; Long ago he was one of the singers, But now he is one of the dumbs. He sits in a beautiful parlour, With hundreds of books on the wall; He drinks a great deal of Marsala, But never gets tipsy at all. He has many friends, laymen and clerical; Old Foss is the name of his cat; His body is perfectly spherical, He weareth a runcible hat. When he walks in a waterproof white, The children run after him so! Calling out, ‘He’s come out in his night- Gown, that crazy old Englishman, oh!’ He weeps by the side of the ocean, He weeps on the top of the hill; He purchases pancakes and lotion, And chocolate shrimps from the mill. He reads but he cannot speak Spanish, He cannot abide ginger-beer: Ere the days of his pilgrimage vanish, How pleasant to know Mr. Lear!
Мы в восторге от мистера Лира, Исписал он стихами тома. Для одних он – ворчун и придира, А другим он приятен весьма. Десять пальцев, два глаза, два уха, Подарила природа ему. Не лишен он известного слуха И в гостях не поет потому. Книг у Лира на полках немало. Он привез их из множества стран. Пьет вино он с наклейкой "Марсана", И совсем не бывает он пьян. Есть у Лира знакомые разные. Кот его называется Фосс. Тело автора – шарообразное, И совсем нет под шляпой волос. Если ходит он, тростью стуча, В белоснежном плаще за границей, Все мальчишки кричат: "Англичанин В халате бежал из больницы!“ Он рыдает, бродя в одиночку По горам, среди каменных глыб, Покупает в аптеке примочку, А в ларьке – марципановых рыб. По-испански не пишет он, дети, И не любит он пить рыбий жир... Как приятно нам знать, что на свете Есть такой человек – мистер Лир!
LimericksAbout Old Persons There was an old man with a beardWho said, “It is just as I feared! – Two owls and a hen,Four larks and a wren,Have all built their nests in my beard!” Жил на свете старик в бороде.Говорил он: «Я знал, быть беде,Две совы, три чижаИ четыре стрижаСвили гнезда в моей бороде!»
There was an old man on a hillWho seldom, if ever, stood stillHe ran up and downIn his grandmother's gown,Which adorned that old man on a hill Жил старик на пригорочке мирномОчень редко он хаживал смирноВверх и вниз он бежал,Держа дедов кинжал,Старик грозный в селении мирном
Analysis of Limericks. There was an old man with a beard Who said, “It is just as I feared! – Two owls and a hen, Four larks and a wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!” There was a young lady whose chin, Resembled the points of a pin, So she had it made sharp, And purchased a harp, And played several tunes with her chin
5 lines rhymes - Beard-feared-my beard A hen-a wren Homonym rhymes–Hen-wren Beard- feared Framing - A beard is repeated twice( the 1st , the 5th lines) Polysindeton – who Hyperbole - Have all built their nests in my beard (Борода слишком большая) 5 lines rhymes - Chin-pin-her chin A sharp- a harp Homonym rhymes - Chin-pin Sharp –harp Framing - Chin is repeated twice ( the 1st , the 5th lines) Polysindeton – whose Hyperbole - whose chin, Resembled the points of a pin,(Острым подбородком играла на арфе)
Limericks With My Pictures Раз МакГуайр, наш старик,Упал в болото, поднял крик.Сказал добрый прохожий ему:«Думать о смерти тебе ни к чему»,Но сказал ему старик: «Я маляр, я привык». There was an old man names MacGuireLost his footing and fell in the mireSaid a bland passer-by,“Cheep up, never say die!”“But I must, he replied, I’m a dyer!”
There was an old man on a hill Who seldom, if ever, stood still; He ran up and down, In his grandmother gown, Which adorned that old man on a hill.
There was an old man in a tree, Who was horribly bored by a Bee; When they said, “ Does it buzz?” He replied, “Yes, it does!” “It’s a regular brute of a bee!”
There was an old person of Chili, Whose conduct was painful and silly He sat on the straits Eating apples and pears, That imprudent old person of Chili.
There was a young lady whose chin, Resembled the points of a pin; So she had it made sharp, And purchased a harp, And played several tunes with her chin.
There was an old with a beard Who said , ” It is just as I feared! – Two owls and a hen Four larks and a wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!”
There was a young person of Smyrna, Whose grandmother threatened to burn her; But she seized on the cat, And said, “Granny, burn that! You incongruous old woman of Smyrna!”
Children’s Poems And Pictures of Kem School №2. There was a woman called Nanny She was happy and funny Her smile was always big Like a big pig That was a happy woman called Nanny.
There was a fat girl Sewsy ,She liked dancing andmusic. When she listened to thesong She was fat and long And that was a fat girl called Sewsy.
There was a strange lady of Cox, Who wanted to live in a box; But the lady was old, And she got very cold, Oh, poor, strange lady of Cox.
Limerick Day May the 12th is Limerick day. It celebrates the birthday of one of the world’s greatest limerick-writers, Edward Lear (1812 – 1888). And, of course, it also celebrates limerick poems.
Summary Analyzing limericks I have:Learned the main peculiarities of these poems;Learned their structureLearned lexicaLearned syntaxLearned to translate the poemsLearned to analyze other poemsEnlarged my vocabulary Made great contributions into the writing of the poems:Authors:Edward Lear;Lewis CarrollRudyard KiplingTranslators:MarshakNabokov
Thank you for your attention