Analysis of Limerick: There was an old man of Tobago

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



There was an old man of Tobago,
Who lived on rice, gruel and sago
Till, much to his bliss,
His physician said this -
To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go.


Scheme AABBA
Poetic Form Limerick 
Metre 111111010 111110010 11111 101011 1011110111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 157
Words 35
Sentences 2
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 5
Lines Amount 5
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 113
Words per stanza (avg) 33
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

10 sec read
107

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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