The History of the Limerick

A limerick is a humorous five line poem. It is said to have been developed by Irish soldiers who were returning from war to their home town of Limerick. On route they began reciting a line of poetry to kill the time. One by one each soldier added a line to the verse which they affectionately called The Limerick. Edward Lear introduced the Limerick to English Poetry (http://homepages.stayfree.co.uk/gpj/lear.htm). The first second and fifth lines rhyme. The shorter third and fourth lines rhyme with each other. The fifth line often has a surprise ending.

Imagine a skunk who proposes,
To his true love, surrounded by roses.
It may turn out just fine,
When she falls for his line,
But I wonder if flowers have noses?

Source: http://theblarneywell.com/silly_limericks.htm