Mark Toney Poet Clerihew

Notes About The Poem

8/8/2019

Poetry form: Clerimerick Couplets -- a hybrid form composed of a Clerihew, Limerick and 2 rhyming Couplets.  

The Clerihew has been described as the literate cousin of the Limerick.  So I thought, hey, why not get the cousins together for this one!   Then two rhyming couplets showed up to the party and voilà!  - Waterloo Clerihew 23-Skidoo!

Waterloo Clerihew 23-Skidoo

Napoleon Bonaparte
1769 Corsica is where he got his start
One of the greatest commanders in history
His manner of death a 200-year-old mystery

Napoleon played it close to the vest
With his armies he was always the best
But 'twas nothing he could do
When he met his Waterloo
Lived his last few years under house arrest

Napoleon drank the water and headed for the loo
He did nothing different than you or I could ever do
Be kind to your skin and protect your bone-a-parts
Remember that's where good hygiene starts!

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Andrea Dietrich January 7, 2026 at 12:17 PM Great creatively, Mark. Love this. Mark Toney January 7, 2026 at 12:56 PM Thanks, Andrea. You also wrote one entitled “Rob Lowe” for my Clerimerick Couplets contest back on 9/16/2019. My how time flies!

Crystol Woods June 20, 2024 at 7:00 AM Oh, OK... your really good at this! Did you create this unique form? You've written this with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek whimsy. I love the challenges it presents... and my final draft took me longer than any other poems I've ever written! I thoroughly enjoyed this process. Thanks for the amazing idea and challenge. Xoxo Mark Toney June 20, 2024 at 9:38 AM You are very welcome. Yes, back in 2019 I brought the Clerihew and Limerick cousins together along with their couplet friends. I merged the words "clerihew" and "limerick" for the "clerimerick" portmanteau, and thus were born the Clerimerick Couplets! Everyone seems to be having fun with this. Write on!

Krish Radhakrishna June 20, 2024 at 12:08 AM i love bone a part! I have studied the French Revolution in detail and so love this poem. shall try!! Mark Toney June 20, 2024 at 9:40 AM I'm so glad you love it, Krish. Yes, please, give it a go!

Andrea Dietrich June 16, 2024 at 1:59 PM Now here is one I never saw. Your contest looks so fun. It's one I can look forward to, and that isn't the case with all of them. Hope you get lots of cute entries. By the way, the ending on this one. Sure funny how you connected Napoleon to good hygiene. Mark Toney June 16, 2024 at 2:10 PM What a nice comment. As the portrait shows, Napoleon kept one of his hands hidden so at least one of them would stay clean. ;) Btw, you placed in the last contest with "Rob Lowe."

Anisha Dutta September 16, 2019 at 9:42 AM GREAT. Tough to try. Mark Toney September 16, 2019 at 9:42 PM Anisha, I appreciate your encouragement. You can do it too :) ~Mark

Beautiful Scars August 29, 2019 at 1:38 PM wow great example! this one will be very hard for me, we will see! great one Mark :)-luloo Mark Toney August 29, 2019 at 1:42 PM Thank you, Lu Loo. I look forward to your entry! ~Mark

Jan Allison August 25, 2019 at 2:20 PM Oh so clever the couplets had me giggling mark:-) thanks for the inspiration:-) Hugs Jan xx Mark Toney August 25, 2019 at 2:48 PM I’m glad you liked it, Jan! ~Mark

Michelle Faulkner August 17, 2019 at 3:04 PM This is so much fun to read, makes history easy, extra points for the charming title! Mark Toney August 17, 2019 at 9:42 PM Such a nice comment, Michelle. Thank you very much! ~Mark