Analysis of Limerick: There was an Old Man of Dundee

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



There was an Old Man of Dundee,
Who frequented the top of a tree;
When disturbed by the crows,
He abruptly arose,
And exclaimed, 'I'll return to Dundee.'


Scheme AABBA
Poetic Form Limerick 
Metre 11111101 110001101 101101 101001 001101101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 157
Words 31
Sentences 2
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 5
Lines Amount 5
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 117
Words per stanza (avg) 28
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 31, 2023

9 sec read
30

Edward Lear

Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, author and poet, and is known now mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. more…

All Edward Lear poems | Edward Lear Books

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