My Week in Limericks

Ella Dorn, BA Chinese and Linguistics

The limerick, compact but sprightly, is my favourite verse form. I have previously written them in dead languages and submitted others to various anonymous Facebook pages; I even had to be stopped from writing my UCAS personal statement in limerick format.

This week, I’ve contributed to the field by writing a limerick diary. Follow me as I try to do some work, somehow get Zoom interviewed by a major publication, pull off a spur-of-the-moment all-nighter, learn a new language, and try to do a bit more work - all in Ireland’s best-loved meter.

Monday

In every girl’s life comes the time: ‘Heavens, how now shall I rhyme?’ I’ve no skill for haiku, So this week I’ll make do Fair limerick, come and be mine!

Tuesday

I worked pretty hard, in defence, (Go hard or go home, my pretense). Wrote some new chengyu, For class, a long review, Of a book making no ounce of sense.

Wednesday

Today’s been a bit of a show, (I can’t sleep right now, I’m aglow!) It’s so hard to exhume, When in this Zoom room, Has been Bogart (perhaps) or Monroe!

Thursday

On Thursday I sit here in class, All of my bones feel like glass. Why’s it so painful? Complaints? I’ve a brainful, All-nighters are merely a farce.

Friday

The all-nighter, in fact, was a smash. Well-rested, and stressed? Not a dash! My sleep pattern’s sorted! Why had I cavorted, With moonlit reading of trash?

Saturday

Here I sit learning Korean, Better than any plebeian. At long last it’s clearer, That half the words here are Sinitic (not Indo-European).

Sunday

Today I must finish my work, Log on, no time to divert To….music with bongos! Japanese gameshows! The oeuvre of one Douglas Sirk!