How to Twitter Limericks

Tweet your Limerick Poems

As you all know, Twitter only allows you 140 characters and that includes punctuation and spaces. Twittering or tweeting a limerick poem to your adoring fans could be a problem.

Fortunately, the average limerick comes in just around the magic 140 number but what do you do if you have a cracking "they're all gonna love this verse" and it is too big? The answer is ingenuity, my son. A little bit of thought, and your limerick tweet can be made real neat.

Example of a limerick tweet

There was a young lady big hitter
Who claimed she was never a quitter.
She stood on her head
Until she grew red,
Then texted all about it on Twitter!

This limerick comes in at 149 characters, so how to lose the extra 9?

The adjective "young" could easily be varied so you ought to be able to find a three letter word. "Big, sad, fat, wee, fun, sly", any of these would do the trick. That reduces the excess to 7.

Changing the tense in the second line enables a further reduction: "claimed" becomes "says" and "was" becomes "is". In line three "stood" needs to change to "stands" gaining 1 character for an overall of saving of 3. Still four to go.

In line four "grew" changes to "goes" for no saving but lets us alter the last line from "texted" to "texts" saving 1 letter. Only two to lose.

Take away the full stop at "quitter" and the comma at "red" and voila! we have 140 characters. Removing the punctuation is a last step but do it if you really have to.

There is a fun lady big hitter
Who says she is never a quitter
She stands on her head
Until she goes red
Then texts all about it on Twitter!

Happy limerick Twittering!

Pasting in a formatted 140 character verse into Twitter seems to be regarded as too big. So it might be necessary to have the lines running together or keep a few characters under the limit.

Did someone tweet? Edward Lear cartoon

"Did someone tweet" is a cartoon borrowing from Edward Lear the famous "father of the limerick". Did he foresee Twitter?

Hallmark Cards Competition now closed. Vote for the winner Tweet Poll

If you are entering the Hallmark Cards competition you are allowed to use "text speak" and this should enable U 2 manage if necessary.

Is this the smallest textspeak limerick, conforming to the standard format, ever?

Do u c a 22 4 2
4 I c a 22 4 u
A 22 4 me
B4 u I c
As 2 4 a 22 we q

Do you see a tutu for two?
For I see a tutu for you.
A tutu for me
Before you I see
As two for a tutu we queue!

The girl next door is a lulu
Who practises dance in a tutu.
When I see her skip
My heart has a blip
For her whom my heart has been true to!

Line three of this limerick was originally "gives" but looking to reduce the Twitter count means changing it to "has" and this gives the added benefit of increasing the alliteration - helping to convey the sense of your heart pounding at the sight of your true love.

@hallmarkcards A library starts with a book A romance begins with a look A marriage cn end W/ a terrible rend But not if U learn 2 cook

Now wanted for a lonely heart
An actress who can play the part
A starlet with style
& wonderful smile
But you'll do, my love, for a start!

@hallmarkcards Wanted for A lonely heart Actress who cn play the part Starlet w/ style Wonderful smile But U'll do, my love, for a start

Now wanted for a lonely heart
An actress who can play the part
A starlet with style
& wonderful smile
But you'll do, my love, for a start!

@hallmarkcards Wanted for A lonely heart Actress who cn play the part Starlet w/ style Wonderful smile But U'll do, my love, for a start

So now you know how to Twitter a limerick -- all you need is inspiration.

"It takes a heap of sense to write good nonsense" - Mark Twain

Limericks today -- song lyrics tomorrow

Using the Limerick Show generator is a good way to learn the basics of poetry and this can lead you into song lyrics. Master the simple ideas in the limerick of structure, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance and consonance and you only need inspiration to produce a hit song.

Well, it is not quite that easy but it is a good starting point.

William Clark the programmer of the Limerick Show is a published and broadcast poet

Example of a William Clark song: Itunes Amazon co.uk Napster, Rhapsody E-music

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700 Limericks & How To Write Them