The pelican limerick refers to a specific form of humorous light verse about pelicans. Limericks are short, rhyming poems with a strict aabba rhyme scheme, where the a lines rhyme with each other and the b lines rhyme with each other. The pelican limerick follows this traditional structure but focuses on the large, awkward waterbird known as the pelican as its subject.
Pelicans are known for their large throat pouches which they use to scoop up and store fish. Their massive pouches and gangly appearance makes them a natural comedic target for limerick writers. The most famous pelican limerick involves a pelican whose pouch holds more than his belly can. This limerick dates back over 100 years and is often the first one children learn about pelicans.
In the sections below, we will examine the history of the pelican limerick, break down the structure and rhyme scheme that makes these poems work, and provide some additional examples of humorous pelican limericks for the reader’s enjoyment. Learning the basic template of the pelican limerick can serve as an easy introduction to the art of limerick writing in general.
History of the Pelican Limerick
Limericks as a poetic form have been around since at least the early 18th century. The structure of a limerick was popularized by Edward Lear in his 1846 Book of Nonsense, which contained over 200 limericks. Lear did not invent the form, but his silly limericks helped cement the aabba rhyme scheme and anapestic meter into the standard for the genre.
The pelican appears to have become a popular subject for limericks around the late 1800s. Earlier limericks tended to focus on locations like Dublin or Isle of Skye or used generic names like Young Philip or Old Man. The pelican allowed limerick writers to riff on the bird’s distinctive pouch and appearance to humorous effect.
One of the earliest known pelican limericks was published in 1888:
There was an old pelican named Jack,
Whose pouch could hold more than his back;
He stowed so much fish,
That at last with a swish,
He fluttered his legs and lay flat on his back.
This limerick sets up the template for pelican limericks to come – focusing on a pelican overstuffing its pouch so much that it can’t fly or function properly. The old pelican’s name humanizes him while also giving him an alliterative name that fits the poem’s rhythm. The aabba rhyme scheme is followed perfectly while emphasizing the pouch, back, fish, swish, and back again in entertaining fashion.
In the early 1900s, pelican limericks grew in popularity as a classroom and children’s poetry device. Edward Lear’s nonsense rhymes and just-so stories had prepared the market for humorous animal verses. Pelicans appealed to children’s love of gross things and silly scenarios played out in sing-song rhythms.
Here is an early classroom example:
A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill holds more than his belly can.
He can take in his beak
Enough food for a week,
But I’ll be darned if I know how the helican.
Notice how this adds a play on words at the end, changing pelican to helican to fit the rhyme scheme. This allowed teachers to introduce concepts like rhyming and syllable stress while also getting a laugh at the pelican’s expense.
The most commonly repeated pelican limerick likely comes from Dixon Lanier Merritt’s 1910 anthology of humorous verse:
A pelican choked on a fish bone;
He coughed and he wheezed and he moaned.
With ants in his throat
Which tickled his note,
He bellowed and barked till alone.
The absurd details of ants crawling in his throat add to the humor and reinforce the pelican’s exaggerated dangling pouch. The sing-song rhyme makes it highly memorable for young readers. This particular pelican limerick continues to be widely reprinted and circulates as meme humor to this day.
While pelicans remain a common limerick topic, the last century has seen subjects expand more broadly. Still the distinctive pelican remains one of the most recognizable archetypes of the limerick form itself.
The Structure of a Pelican Limerick
Let’s take a closer look at the structural conventions that define pelican limericks and limericks in general:
AABBA Rhyme Scheme
The standard limerick has five lines. The first, second and fifth lines (A) rhyme with each other. The third and fourth lines (B) also rhyme with each other. So the rhyme scheme is AABBA. For example:
There ONCE was a pelican named STELLA (A)
Who SWELLED up her pouch like an UMBRELLA (A)
She tried to FLY north (B)
But got caught in the FORTH (B)
And ended up INSIDE a propeller (A)
This consistent rhyme scheme is what gives limericks their sing-song, bouncing rhythm that makes them easy to remember and fun to hear aloud.
Anapestic Meter
Limericks have a distinct rhythmic meter that also contributes to their playful mood. Each line follows an anapestic foot. This means two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable. The da-da-DUM beat creates a waltz-like feel:
da-da-DUM / da-da-DUM / da-da-DUM
Here is how the meter would scan in our pelican limerick example:
There ONCE was / a PELIcan / named STELla
Who SWELLED up / her POUCH like / an UMbrella
She tried to FLY / north when SHE / saw FORTH
But got caught / in the TIDE / and spun NORTH
Line Length
While limerick lines are not set to a specific syllable count, they generally adhere to a form of 8-10 syllables in lines 1, 2 and 5. Lines 3 and 4 are slightly shorter at 5-7 syllables. This gives limericks their compact, brisk feeling.
Again using our example:
Line 1 – 9 syllables
Line 2 – 10 syllables
Line 3 – 7 syllables
Line 4 – 6 syllables
Line 5 – 9 syllables
This line length guideline is not set in stone, but moving too far from it can disrupt the limerick rhythm. Fun variations can also be done – such as a shorter than normal Line 1 – as long as the overall feel is maintained.
Additional Pelican Limerick Examples
Now that we understand the background, history and conventions of the pelican limerick, let’s enjoy a few more humorous examples:
A flock of pelicans dove in the bay
Each one came up with a fish or some prey
But one clumsy bird
Missed his target and blurred
His pouch on a pier piling that day
Here a poor pelican gets his pouch stuck while dive bombing for fish. The alliteration adds to the mishap.
When pelicans feed their young chicks
It’s like watching a magic trick
They stretch open their beak
And the babies just peek
As the fish zoom so fast they can’t be quick
This limerick incorporates how pelicans hatch their young by pulling fish from their pouches to feed them. The rhyming and rhythm match a magic act.
There once was a pale pelican
Who was oddly unlike his clan
With a small stubby beak
And a weird feathery peak
He might have been some ugly swan!
Making the pelican the reverse of what’s expected highlights the bird’s absurd qualities. The forced rhyme of swan/clan adds humor.
I ponder the pelican’s purse
That elastic and stretchy resource
It expands to hold fish
Though it seems like a wish
That his beak doesn’t pop from the force!
Rhyming purse and resource keeps the poem bouncing. The notion of his beak exploding adds a silly flourish.
As you can see from these examples, the standard aabba rhyme scheme combined with playful rhythms, exaggerated scenarios, and humorous word choices are what define the traditional pelican limerick. This simple yet entertaining form will likely continue amusing young audiences for generations to come. The pelican’s distinctive look and eating habits make it the perfect absurd subject for illustrating the creative possibilities of the limerick form.
Conclusion
In summary, the pelican limerick is a specific verse form that pokes fun at the physical appearance and fish-eating behavior of pelicans. These 5-line poems follow a strict aabba rhyme scheme and anapestic meter that gives them a sing-song quality. Pelican limericks gained popularity in the late 1800s and became a classroom staple by the early 1900s. Though the subjects of limericks have expanded over time, the pelican remains the exemplar of the genre. Memorizing a classic pelican limerick introduces the concept of rhyme schemes, rhythm and imagery to young children. The silly scenarios and exaggerated details show how wordplay and humor can bring a poem to life. For both educational and entertainment value, the distinctive pelican limerick retains an enduring place in the tradition of humorous light verse.