Limerick (poem) antedating Nov. 30, 1880

[Joel S. Berson]

Bravo!

Earlier than 1880:  I had found a Limerick *poem* from 1878, in the
"19th Century UK Periodicals" database (Gale), but had not been able
to connect such a poem with the word "Limerick" or with the "come up
to" tune.  (Is 1878 the earliest known instance of the poem form?)

1878, St. Nicholas [London], Jan. 1, p. 222; from British Library
[perhaps a beta release since it uses the same word twice]:

There once was a man with a child
Who, the neighbors said, never had smiled;
      But the father said, "See !
      Smile in this way, like me,
And then folks will know when you've smiled.

Joel

At 2/3/2010 10:40 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>A fabulous discovery, Stephen!
>
>If anyone out there can't see why:
>
>1. Earliest known connection, by many years, of the word "Limerick" with the
>verse form.
>
>2. Confirmation that the verses were sung rather than simply recited from at
>least 1880.
>
>3. Confirmation that the tune used was the Irish slip jig, "Won't You Come
>(Up) to Limerick?"
>
>4. Confirmation that that phrase was used as a chorus.
>5. Convergence of all these factors in North America - amazing in itself.
>
>Almost too good to be true...
>
>Yet true nonetheless.
>
>Awesome.
>
>JL
>
>
>
>On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 10:17 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> > Subject:      Limerick (poem) antedating Nov. 30, 1880
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > St. John Daily News, St. John, N. B.
> > Edward Willis, Proprietor
> > Tuesday Nov 30, 1880
> > Vol. XLII, no. 281
> > page 4, column 5
> >
> > [headline:} Wise and Otherwise
> > ....
> > There was a young rustic named Mallory,
> > who drew but a very small salary. When
> > he went to show, his purse made him go to
> > a seat in the uppermost gallery. Tune,
> > wont you come to Limerick.
> >
> >
> >
> http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Fx81AAAAIBAJ&sjid=kCYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3306,6135404&dq=come-to-limerick&hl=en
> >
> > Stephen Goranson
> > http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
> >
> > Worldcat:
> > Daily evening news
> >
> > 1839-1884
> > English Serial Publication Serial Publication : Newspaper : Daily :
> > Microform
> > Microform v. ill.
> > Saint John, N.B.
> >        Get This Item
> > # Availability:         Check the catalogs in your library. Libraries
> > worldwide that
> > own item: 2
> > # Find this in your library Search the catalog at your library
> > # External Resources:
> > # Link to external web site Cite This Item
> >        Find Related
> > More Like This:         Advanced options ...
> > Title:  Daily evening news
> > Publication:    Saint John, N.B.
> > Place:  Canada; New Brunswick; Saint John.
> > Year:   1839-1884
> > Frequency:      Annual Daily.
> > Description:    Sept. 16, 1839-Apr. 8, 1884.; v. ill.
> > Language:       English
> >        SUBJECT(S)
> > Descriptor:     Canadian newspapers (English) -- New Brunswick -- Saint
> > John.
> > Geographic:     Saint John (N.B.)
> > Note(s):        Reproduction: Microfilm./ [Ottawa],/ Canadian Library
> > Association,/
> > 1969./ reels. 35 mm.
> > Other Titles:   Daily evening news (St. John, N.B.); Commercial news and
> > general
> > advertiser; Sept.16, 1839-Mar.30, 1840.; Morning news; Apr.3, 1840-Apr.23,
> > 1841.; Saint John daily news; 1872-80.
> > Material Type:  Newspaper (new); Microfilm (mfl)
> > Document Type:  Serial
> > Entry:  19850226
> > Update:         20090515
> > Accession No:   OCLC: 321025397
> > Database:       WorldCat
> >
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