Analysis of Limerick: There was an old man who felt pert

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



There was an old man who felt pert
When he wore a pale rose-coloured shirt.
When they said 'Is it pleasant?'
He cried 'Not at present--
It's a little to short -- is my shirt!'


Scheme AABBA
Poetic Form Limerick 
Metre 11111111 111011101 1111110 111110 101011111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 179
Words 39
Sentences 4
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 5
Lines Amount 5
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 128
Words per stanza (avg) 35
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

11 sec read
58

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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