It’s National Clerihew Day, But What the Heck Is It? Learn About This Whimsical... (Gotta Read It to Find Out!) Activities Poems

A clerihew is a rhyming whimsical poem that consists of four lines that’s written about a famous person. It was invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley, a 20th century novelist and humorist. 

The rhyme scheme is AABB (the first and second lines should rhyme with one another, as should the third and fourth lines) and the rhymes are sometimes forced. Clerihews are most often used to poke fun at well-known people. 

Here's a couple examples of clerihew peoms:

Sir Humphry Davy
Detested gravy.
He lived in the odium
Of having discovered sodium. 

Henry James Pye
is extremely difficult to justify;
none of the writing he managed to do
has been reprinted since 1822.

(First example by Edmund Clerihew Bentley and second by Henry Taylor.)

Want to try your hand at one or see what your child comes up with? Here are 5 tips for writing a clerihew!

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community. Inspire and be inspired.