Problem Analysis:
The task involves analyzing a limerick by Edward Lear to identify its rhyme scheme and meter, and then writing an original limerick. Let's break it down step by step.
---
Step 1: Identify the Rhyme Scheme
#### The Limerick:
```
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!”
```
#### Instructions:
- Circle the rhyming words at the end of each line.
- Label the first set of rhyming words with `a` and the second set with `b`.
#### Solution:
1.
Identify the ending words:
- Line 1:
beard
- Line 2:
feared
- Line 3:
Hen
- Line 4:
Wren
- Line 5:
beard
2.
Circle the rhyming words:
- Lines 1 and 5 both end with
beard.
- Lines 3 and 4 both end with words that rhyme (
Hen and
Wren).
- Line 2 ends with
feared, which rhymes with
beard.
3.
Label the rhyme scheme:
- Lines 1 and 5:
beard → `a`
- Line 2:
feared → `a`
- Lines 3 and 4:
Hen and
Wren → `b`
Therefore, the rhyme scheme is:
aabba.
---
Step 2: Describe the Meter of the First Line
#### The First Line:
```
There was an Old Man with a beard,
```
#### Instructions:
- Describe the meter of this line.
#### Solution:
-
Meter refers to the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem.
- In limericks, the typical meter is
anapestic trimeter (three feet of three syllables each, with the stress on the third syllable).
Let’s analyze the first line:
```
There WAS an OLD MAN with a BEARD,
```
- Breakdown:
- "There WAS" = unstressed-stressed
- "an OLD" = unstressed-stressed
- "MAN with" = unstressed-stressed
- "a BEARD" = unstressed-stressed
This line follows the anapestic trimeter pattern, where each foot has two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable.
#### Final Answer for Step 2:
The meter of the first line is
anapestic trimeter.
---
Step 3: Write Your Own Limerick
#### Instructions:
- Write an original limerick following the same rhyme scheme (`aabba`) and meter.
#### Solution:
Here is an example of an original limerick:
```
There once was a cat from Kent,
Who loved to eat fish, not a dent.
He'd leap and he'd pounce,
On every small mouse,
And dream of his next big event!
```
#### Explanation:
-
Rhyme Scheme:
- Lines 1 and 5:
Kent and
event → `a`
- Line 2:
dent → `a`
- Lines 3 and 4:
pounce and
mouse → `b`
- Rhyme scheme:
aabba
-
Meter:
Each line follows the anapestic trimeter pattern, with the stress falling on the third syllable of each foot.
---
Final Answers
1.
Rhyme Scheme:
```
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_
```
Rhyme Scheme: aabba
2.
Meter of the First Line:
The meter is
anapestic trimeter.
3.
Original Limerick:
```
There once was a cat from Kent,
Who loved to eat fish, not a dent.
He'd leap and he'd pounce,
On every small mouse,
And dream of his next big event!
```
---
Boxed Final Answer
\[
\boxed{\text{aabba, anapestic trimeter}}
\]
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of rhyme scheme practice worksheet.
