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Re: [ANN] XML Limerick Competition

  • To: Jasen Hoglund <jhoglund@l...>
  • Subject: Re: [ANN] XML Limerick Competition
  • From: John Cowan <jcowan@r...>
  • Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 14:18:04 -0500
  • Cc: "xml-dev@l..." <xml-dev@l...>, Michael Kay <michael.h.kay@n...>
  • References: <E16P4zf-00035I-00@m...>
  • User-agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:0.9.6) Gecko/20011120

c limerick
Jasen Hoglund wrote:

[snipped, because I don't want to pick on him specifically]

Can't we get some limericks that actually *are* limericks?
People have mostly got the rhyme scheme right (some of the
rhymes are imperfect), but there are still far too many
syllables in far too many (like, say, almost all)
attempts.

The canonical syllabic scheme of a limerick is this:

da-da-DA-da-da-DA-da-da-DA
da-da-DA-da-da-DA-da-da-DA
    da-da-DA-da-da-DA
    da-da-DA-da-da-DA
da-da-DA-da-da-DA-da-da-DA

For example:

there-WAS-a-young-LA-dy-named-BRIGHT
who-could-TRAV-el-much-FAST-er-than-LIGHT
    she-SET-off-one-DAY
    in-a-REL-a-tive-WAY
and re-TURNED-the-PREV-i-ous-NIGHT

The first syllable can always be left off, as in lines 1
and 3, and you can squeeze in one, at most two extra syllables
per line (though this example doesn't).  It's also okay to
drop an unstressed syllable here and there, as in line 5.

You can also have one (or even two) unstressed syllables at
the end, provided the rhyme scheme is respected:

a-MATH-e-ma-TI-cian-con-FI-ded
that-a-MOE-bi-us-BAND-is-one-SI-ded
    and-you'll-GET-quite-a-LAUGH
    if-you-CUT-one-in-HALF
for-it-STAYS-in-one-PIECE-when-di-VI-ded

Rhythmical alterations beyond these produce not a
limerick but a shapeless mess.  It don't mean a thing if it
ain't got that swing!

-- 
Not to perambulate             || John Cowan <jcowan@r...>
    the corridors               || http://www.reutershealth.com
during the hours of repose     || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
    in the boots of ascension.  \\ Sign in Austrian ski-resort hotel


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