Limericks

• Limericks are comical rhyming poems comprised of five lines of verse. Often the subjects are nonsensical or satirical in nature, and books of limericks can be found for both adults and children. Due to the strong rhythm, short length and the silly nature of the limerick, it is a useful and fun form to use when teaching children about poetry.
  
  

Nonsense

• Nonsense poetry is comical, whimsical and light in nature, most often aimed toward children. Fantastic characters, settings and nonsense words are employed to create puns, parody and ambiguity. Some popular nonsense poets include Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Both nursery rhymes and limerick poems can be nonsensical in nature, but not always. "Hey Diddle Diddle" is a useful example of a nonsensical poem. This form of poetry allows absolute freedom to create whatever world, characters and scenario the poet could possibly dream up, regardless of whether they make sense or not.
  
  

Haiku

• Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry which does not rhyme and is defined by its short length, the first line containing five syllables, the second line seven syllables and five syllables in the third and last line. Traditional haiku most often looks to themes in nature as the subject matter for the poetry. Haiku can be fun to teach to children and easier for children to write, as it does not require the rhyme scheme and reinforces the understanding of syllables.
  
  

Nursery Rhymes

• When reading young children a short bed-time story, often parents will still use the famous book of children's poetry, "Mother Goose Rhymes." Nursery rhymes are sometimes narrative, sometimes nonsensical poems, of varying length and subject matter. Nursery rhymes often have historical or socio-political meanings behind them, such as "Mary Mary Quite Contrary" and "Hey Diddle Diddle." At face value, nursery rhymes are whimsical and lighthearted stories that do not require children to make sense of them for them to be enjoyed and remembered.