Poetry Breakdown: A Cauldron of Limericks by Patricia Hubbell

Thursday, October 14, 2010

A Cauldron of Limericks by Patricia Hubbell

Often people underestimate literary prose associated to writing children books. Children books are a popular method for authors to get their first book published, yet modern parents have many standards. Adults write children's books, not children. Common belief is passive reading affects the subconscious. Parents do not want any incidental thoughts or premises from authors affecting children.

Parents reading and looking at these books are becoming critical as they look for hidden messages or accidental images in the background. Therefore, publishers heavily screen books. This collection of limericks is fun, because they are child appropriate and limericks are rare. Limericks are five or seven lines with a jaunty rhythmic pattern. In a five line limerick the first, second and third lines rhyme, while the fourth and fifth lines rhyme.

Traditionally limericks are separate from each other; instead of, building a cohesive story. An introductory limerick creates a platform for individual poems for individuals. As a Halloween book the individuals are ghouls, ghosts, bats and so-on. As a book for children it is funny thinking of a ghoul sobbing. It never explains why he sobs. Perhaps the corpse's brain is missing; however, it is not stated so parents are free to explain if their child asks.

The premise is quaint. Several are excellent; I enjoy the limerick about the Ghost and Goblin.
A Ghost from the town of LaFrance
Taught a Goblin named Rosie to dance.
As they waltzed to and fro
He trod on her toe
Which ended their budding romance.

Even without the illustration, it is humorous. When attempting to think of another image it is still amusing.

There is not much to think about metaphorically. This is the point of children books. Parents resent inappropriate messages. Artists specializing in children's art frequently edit their work until it is pure. The subconscious is strange and they do not want naked people, or worse, visible in paint strokes. Writers of children books also need to be equally aware to avoid writing more than what is on the page. Underlying messages must provide a solution that is reminisce of an innocent child's mind.

Quirky Books
Boo! by Patricia Hubbell

1 comment:

  1. There once was a vampy old witch,
    The thought of her near made me twitch,
    But she had a nice twin,
    With a similar grin,
    My thought? Which witch was which?

    ReplyDelete

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