English limericks as unique type of poetry

A limerick is five lines long with the rhyme scheme a-a-b-b-a. This means that lines I. 2 and 5 rhyme with each other, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other. They also have a bouncing rhythm. Limericks are meant to be funny, and often employ elements of literature such as hyperbole, onomatopoeia and alliteration. The first line usually sets up the idea of the poem, and the last is generally the punch line. Although sometimes bawdy, outlandish limericks bring humor and rhyme to the world of poetry.