Analysis of Limerick: There was an Old Person in Gray

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



There was an Old Person in Gray,
Whose feelings were tinged with disman;
She purchased two Parrots,
And fed them with Carrots,
Which pleased that Old Person in Gray.


Scheme ABCCA
Poetic Form Tetractys  (40%)
Cinquain  (20%)
Metre 11111001 1100111 110110 011110 11111001
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 169
Words 31
Sentences 2
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 5
Lines Amount 5
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 132
Words per stanza (avg) 29
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

9 sec read
55

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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