Isabella’s Limericks

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Want to write your own limericks like Isabella Gordon?

Limericks

Crustacean Limericks

We had some fun writing limericks about crustaceans with pupils from Keith & Newmill Primary Schools who  took part in our
Isabella’s Footsteps Project from September 2025 – May 2026.

Copepods
There was a copepod called Smith,
Who always cleaned with Jiff,
He went to the shop
Where he got a shock
He’d thought that cake was a myth

Lobsters
There once was a lobster called Lobbee
Who was a wee bitty slobby
When eating his food
He was rather rude
He chased his best friend Bobby

Isabella’s Limericks

Isabella wrote limericks.
She wrote this one when she landed in Kyoto, Japan:

At the airport it seemed rather odd
To be met as if I were a Godd-
ess from Mars,
Or one of the stars,
When I’m only a SHRIMP (Decapod*)!

Isabella was a wee bit on the short side which is probably why she calls herself a shrimp – which is a wee crustacean!

*Decapod (sounds like: Deck-a-pod) is the family name for crustaceans like crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimp.

Why don’t you try writing your own Limerick?

You’ll find lots of examples below and information and suggestions of how to write your own.

Limerick RULES

  1. Limericks have five lines
  2. Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with each other
  3. Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other
  4. They have a particular rhythm
  5. They are usually funny!

Try clapping as you say one or more of the poems on this page out loud so you can feel the rhythm. It should feel a bit like this – you can try clapping and speaking this out loud too:-

  1. da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
  2. da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
  3. da DUM da da DUM
  4. da DUM da da DUM
  5. da DUM da da DUM da da DUM

A Limerick You May Know!

Hickery dickery dock

The mouse ran up-the clock

The clock struck one

The mouse ran down

Hickery dickery dock

Which 3 lines have a word at the end that rhymes?
Which 2 lines have a word at the end rhyme?
How many lines are there altogether?

You could write a Limerick about one of Isabella’s Sea Creatures

Visit the Sea Creatures page to choose a crustacean or other creature

How to Write a Crustacean Limerick

  1. Once you have chosen your crustacea choose a very short name for it eg. Pod the Copepod or Rock the Crab or Sticky the Barnacle etc….
  2. Write the first line like this:  There was a (put your crustacean here eg. Copepod) called (put its name here eg. Pod)  
  3. Write a list of words that rhyme with the last word of the 1st line and choose the best two. (eg. Odd, nod)
  4. Write line 2 to rhyme with line 1 – doesn’t matter how daft it is!
  5. Write line 5 to rhyme with lines 1&2 – make it silly
  6. Write lines 3 & 4  – they should rhyme with each other but not with the rest of the line. Don’t forget to check that the rhythm is correct as shown in the examples above
  7. Read your limerick out loud and clap to make sure it has the right rhythm
  8. If you like you could sing it! Start with the same tune for lines 1,2 & 5 and a different one for 3 & 4. You can then change them a bit to make them more interesting!
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