Analysis of Limerick: There was an Old Man of Nepaul

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



There was an Old Man of Nepaul,
From his horse had a terrible fall;
But, though split quite in two,
By some very strong glue,
They mended that Man of Nepaul.


Scheme AABAA
Poetic Form Tetractys  (40%)
Cinquain  (20%)
Metre 1111111 111101001 111101 111011 1101111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 161
Words 33
Sentences 2
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 5
Lines Amount 5
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 121
Words per stanza (avg) 31
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

9 sec read
35

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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