The Town Karnteel

By James Whitcomb Riley

    The Town Karnteel! It's who'll reveal     Its praises jushtifiable?     For who can sing av anything     So lovely and reliable?     Whin Summer, Spring, or Winter lies     From Malin's Head to Tipperary,     There's no such town for interprise     Bechuxt Youghal and Londonderry!     There's not its likes in Ireland -     For twic't the week, be gorries!     They're playing jigs upon the band,     And joomping there in sacks - and - and -     And racing, wid wheelborries!     Kanteel - it's there, like any fair,     The purty gurrls is plinty, sure!     And man-alive! At forty-five     The leg's av me air twinty, sure!     I lave me cares, and hoein' too,     Behint me, as is sinsible,     And it's Karnteel I'm goin' to,     To cilebrate in principle!     For there's the town av all the land!     And twic't the week, be-gorries!     They're playing jigs upon the band,     And joomping there in sacks - and - and -     And racing, wid wheelborries!     And whilst I feel for owld Karnteel     That I've no phrases glorious,     It stands above the need av love     That boasts in voice uproarious!     Lave that for Cork, and Dublin too,     And Armagh and Killarney thin,     And Karnteel won't be troublin' you     Wid any jilous blarney, thin!     For there's the town av all the land     Where twic't the week, be-gorries!     They're playing jigs upon the band,     And joomping there in sacks - and - and -     And racing, wid wheelborries!

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Analysis & Notes:
The poem celebrates the fictional town of Karnteel with unabashed enthusiasm, deploying a lively, first-person voice that revels in its subject’s charm. Structured as a single stanza of 39 lines, the poem embraces a loose, rhythmic cadence with irregular line lengths and sporadic rhymes, mirroring the unpolished exuberance of its speaker. The repetition of the refrain twic't the week, be-gorries! / They're playing jigs upon the band anchors the verses, reinforcing the town’s vibrant, communal spirit. The speaker’s voice is colloquial and energetic, punctuated by exclamations and playful orthography (e.g., joomping, wid wheelborries), which lend authenticity to his affection. A tonal shift occurs midway, as the speaker laments his lack of eloquence to praise Karnteel properly, yet this humility only deepens the poem’s warmth, contrasting the town’s unpretentious joy with the uproarious boasting of other places. The final repetition of the refrain underscores Karnteel’s enduring allure, leaving the reader with a sense of its infectious, unselfconscious delight.

Understanding Limerick

A limerick is a five-line poem known for its jaunty rhythm, playful tone, and a punchline twist. It’s built for humor—often sly, sometimes downright silly.


Common characteristics of limericks:

  • Five Lines & Rhyme: The standard scheme is AABBA—the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme; the shorter third and fourth lines rhyme with each other.
  • Bouncy Meter: Typically anapestic (two short, one long beat). Lines 1, 2, and 5 are longer; lines 3 and 4 are shorter.
  • Tone & Humor: Lighthearted, mischievous, and built around a final gag or reversal.
  • Subject & Setup: Often starts with “There once was a … from …,” setting place and character before the comic turn.
  • Sound Play: Internal rhyme, alliteration, and rhythmic snap heighten the joke’s delivery.

The best limericks land like a good toast: quick, musical, and clinched by a memorable last line.