May 12: Edward Lear
On this day in 1812, the British artist, illustrator, and writer, Edward Lear was born. He is known for his nonsensical poetry and his limericks, a form which he popularized. In 1846 he published A Book of Nonsense, a volume of limericks which went through three editions and helped popularise the form.

Edward Lear Banner
Use this banner on social media to share our collection of Edward Lear poems, limericks, and drawings.
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Edward Lear Drawings
This gallery contains several dozen illustrations by Edward Lear from the ClipArt ETC website. Each drawing includes the original rhyme in the caption.