National Clerihew Day
National Clerihew Day in the United States honors Edmund Clerihew Bentley's poem style on July 10th of each year. His four-line biographical poem provides a brief, but whimsical, introduction to poetry.
#nationalclerihewday
Edmund Clerihew Bentley, an English novelist and comedian, wrote the first-ever Clerihew at the age of 16.
The Clerihew is governed by a series of laws, as with most poetry. It must: It must: It must: It must:
- Include four lines
- AA/BB's Contain rhyming couplets
- Include a person's name in the first line
- Say something about this individual
- Be amusing. Of course, it is supposed to be a funny poem
Poetry wasn't exclusive to Bentley. Poetry wasn't limited to poetry. Other writers wrote and published in this style as well, and still do.
- Gavin Ewart's Cluster of Clerihews A Cluster of Clerihews A Cluster of Clerihews A Cluster of Clerihews
- William Hazell's Excuse My Clerihews Excuse My Clerihews Excuse My Clerihews Excuse My Clerihews Excuse My Clerihews Excuse My Clerihews William Hazell's Excuse My Clerihews Excuse My Clerihews Excuse My Clerihews Excuse My Clerihews William Hazell's
- Paul Ingram's Lost Clerihews (Though they don't seem lost, I guess they once were) (Though they don't seem lost, I guess they once were)
People real and imagined poke fun at people like limericks and poets. The Clerihew also draws a chuckle from the reader as a result of the poem's subject matter. It's probably safer not to read it if you can't laugh at yourself and you're the subject of a Clerihew. If you're writing a Clerihew about someone who can't take a joke, perhaps don't write the Clerihew. Or, write it about not being able to take a joke.
Nelly Belly ha Danced to Lady GaGa. Fell on her bum. Cried in her rum.
How to celebrate national clerihew day on national clerihew day
Write a Clerihew or of your own! You may also explore Clerihews' world. The performance is certainly worth celebrating, according to the organizers. #NationalCleriHewDay was used in a social media post by Post on social media.
The national clerihew day is the first clerihew day in history
Edmund Clerihew Bentley's birth, July 10th, is commemorated every year.
