Before Lear could travel the globe—he became a ceaseless wanderer later in his career—he relied on the local zoo and private menageries for exotic subjects collected from far-off places. After the ...

However, limerick poems as we know them today first appeared in the 18th century. They were popularized in England by the writer Edward Lear in his first Book of Nonsense, published in 1846.

Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear and Spike Milligan are good authors to read if you like nonsense poetry. Watch this short clip to learn about what nonsense poetry is and see an example.