Warren Doud’s Decennial Six-Syllable Limerick Contest

The word “decennial” means “every ten years”.  If the next regular contest is held ten years from now, I will be 102 years old, so my guess is that it’s now or never if you’re thinking of participating.  [Send contest entry to Warren Doud, warren.doud@gmail.com.  ]

The Limerick

A limerick is a poem that consists of five lines in a single stanza with a rhyme scheme of AABBA.

One of the most famous examples of a limerick is this:

There once was a man from Nantucket
Who kept all his cash in a bucket.
His daughter named Nan,
Ran away with a man
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with each other, lines 3 and 4 rhyme, thus the AABBA rhyme scheme

The number of syllables is also important to maintain.  So in this limerick, lines 1,2, and 5 each have nine syllables, and lines 3 and 4 have five syllables. (In line 4, the first two syllables are pronounced together as one syllable.)

The Web has a lot of information about limericks.  Here is a good link: https://literarydevices.net/limerick/

Now, many limericks are vulgar and smutty.  In this contest we are avoiding all of the unsavory poems in favor of the G-rated variety that everyone can enjoy.

The Six-Syllable Limerick

One of the most famous limericks is one in which the fourth line is a single six-syllable word.  It has various versions; the one I like most is this:

The bustard’s a wonderful fowl
He seldom has reason to growl.
He escapes what would be
Illegitimacy
By the fortunate choice of a vowel.

It is not really known who wrote this limerick.  Some say Isaac Asimov, others say Edward Lear himself, who is said to have invented the limerick; but this limerick is well known, not the least for the single word of six-syllables in the fourth line.

The rhyme scheme is AABBA.  There are eight syllables in Lines 1,2, and 5, and six syllables in Lines 3 and 4.  And Line 4 is the piece de résistance, the one word of six syllables. I have written some of these myself.  Here are a couple; feel free to use them, they are in the public domain.

A contractor building homes may
Design them by using feng shui.
He’ll insist that they be,
Architecturally,
Configured in no other way.

 See, line 4 is a six-syllable world.

Bob Thieme was a doctrinal pastor.
He spoke like a former drill master.
He taught us to see,
Categorically,
How to grow in Christ Jesus much faster.

The Warren Doud Decennial Six-Syllable Limerick Contest

To enter the contest, submit an original limerick that meets the following requirements.  Entries not meeting these standards will be summarily discarded.  Send entry to warren.doud@gmail.com.

1.      The limerick uses the standard rhyme scheme of AABBA.
2.      Lines 1, 2, and 5 have eight (8) syllables.  Lines 4 and 5 have six (6) syllables.
3.      Line 4 is a single word.

Ordinarily you would use English six-syllable words, but if you can fit in a word from French or other language, give it a try! There are a lot of six-syllable words in English.  I was amazed to find this web site that specializes in listing multi-syllable words.

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_6-syllable_words

While I was looking at stuff online I also found lists of six-syllable words in other languages.  Here is a link to French words:

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:French_6-syllable_words

Here are a few good English six-syllable words to work with.

Acclimitization
Antediluvian
Architecturally
Biodegradable
Categorically
Coincidentally
Curmudgeonliness
Deterioration
Endocrinology
Gubernatorial
Hypoglycemia
Inconsequential
Irreconcilable
Memorabilia
Misrepresentation
Noncommunicable
Octogenarian
Onomatopoeia
Predictability
Prestidigitation
Quinquagenarian
Rationalization
Responsibility
Sanctimoniously
Semiliquidity
Sesquicentennial
Superannuation
Unilaterally
Verisimilitude

Yours in God’s Grace,

Warren