Edward Lear

Edward Lear was an English artist, musician, author, and poet famous for his literary nonsense and limericks. Born on May 12, 1812, in Holloway, England, Lear created a genre of literary nonsense that influenced many later English writers. He is best known for his work 'A Book of Nonsense' and 'The Owl and the Pussycat.' His whimsical style and imaginative use of language captivated both children and adults alike. Lear passed away on January 29, 1888.

May 12, 1812

January 29, 1888

English

Edward Lear

Page 7 of 15

Book Of Nonsense Limerick 93.

There was a Young Lady of Wales,
Who caught a large fish without scales;
When she lifted her hook,
She exclaimed, "Only look!"
That ecstatic Young Lady of Wales.

Edward Lear

Book Of Nonsense Limerick 94.

There was an Old Person of Cheadle,
Was put in the stocks by the beadle;
For stealing some pigs,
Some coats, and some wigs,
That horrible Person of Cheadle.

Edward Lear

Book Of Nonsense Limerick 95.

There was a Young Lady of Welling,
Whose praise all the world was a-telling;
She played on the harp,
And caught several carp,
That accomplished Young Lady of Welling.

Edward Lear

Book Of Nonsense Limerick 96.

There was an Old Person of Tartary,
Who divided his jugular artery;
But he screeched to his wife,
And she said, "Oh, my life!
Your death will be felt by all Tartary!"

Edward Lear

Book Of Nonsense Limerick 97.

There was an old Person of Chester,
Whom several small children did pester;
They threw some large stones,
Which broke most of his bones,
And displeased that old person of Chester.

Edward Lear

Book Of Nonsense Limerick 98.

There was an Old Man with an owl,
Who continued to bother and howl;
He sate on a rail,
And imbibed bitter ale,
Which refreshed that Old Man and his owl.

Edward Lear

Book Of Nonsense Limerick 99.

There was an Old Person of Gretna,
Who rushed down the crater of Etna;
When they said, "Is it hot?"
He replied, "No, it's not!"
That mendacious Old Person of Gretna.

Edward Lear

Calico Pie.



    I.

Calico pie,
The little birds fly
Down to the calico-tree:
Their wings were blue,
And they sang "Tilly-loo!"
Till away they flew;
And they never came back to me!
They never came back,
They never came back,
They never came back to me!


    II.

Calico jam,
The little Fish swam
Over the Syllabub Sea.
He took off his hat
To the Sole and the Sprat,
And the Willeby-wat:
But he never came back to me;
He never came back,
He never came back,
He never came back to me.




    III.

Calico ban,
The little Mice ran
To be ready in time for tea;
Flippity flup,
They drank it al...

Edward Lear

How Pleasant To Know Mr. Lear!

"How pleasant to know Mr. Lear!"
Who has written such volumes of stuff!
Some think him ill-tempered and queer,
But a few think him pleasant enough.

His mind is concrete and fastidious,
His nose is remarkably big;
His visage is more or less hideous,
His beard it resembles a wig.

He has ears, and two eyes, and ten fingers,
Leastways if you reckon two thumbs;
Long ago he was one of the singers,
But now he is one of the dumbs.

He sits in a beautiful parlor,
With hundreds of books on the wall;
He drinks a great deal of Marsala,
But never gets tipsy at all.

He has many friends, lay men and clerical,
Old Foss is the name of his cat;
His body is perfectly spherical,
He weareth a runcible hat.

When he walks in waterproo...

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 1

There was a young person of Bantry,
Who frequently slept in the pantry;
When disturbed by the mice,
She appeased them with rice,
That judicious young person of Bantry.

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 10

There was an old person of Bromley,
Whose ways were not cheerful or comely;
He sate in the dust,
Eating spiders and crust,
That unpleasing old person of Bromley.

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 100

There was an old man of Thermopylae,
Who never did anything properly;
But they said, "If you choose
To boil eggs in your shoes,
You shall never remain in Thermopylae."

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 11

There was an old person of Shields,
Who frequented the vallies and fields;
All the mice and the cats,
And the snakes and the rats,
Followed after that person of Shields.

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 12

There was an old man of Dunluce,
Who went out to sea on a goose:
When he'd gone out a mile,
He observ'd with a smile,
"It is time to return to Dunluce."

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 13

There was an old man of Dee-side
Whose hat was exceedingly wide,
But he said, "Do not fail,
If it happen to hail,
To come under my hat at Dee-side!"

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 14

There was an old person in black,
A Grasshopper jumped on his back;
When it chirped in his ear,
He was smitten with fear,
That helpless old person in black.

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 15

There was an old man of the Dargle
Who purchased six barrels of Gargle;
For he said, "I'll sit still,
And will roll them down hill,
For the fish in the depths of the Dargle."

Edward Lear

More Nonsense Limerick 16

There was an old person of Pinner,
As thin as a lath, if not thinner;
They dressed him in white,
And roll'd him up tight,
That elastic old person of Pinner.

Edward Lear

Page 7 of 15