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Doggerel

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Rough, irregular verse marked by clumsy rhythm, simple rhyme, and often humorous or satirical intent, lacking refined poetic technique.

Detailed Definition
Doggerel is rudimentary, often comically clumsy verse marked by irregular meter, forced rhymes, and simplistic diction; though sometimes used satirically or affectionately (e.g., nursery rhymes), it generally lacks poetic refinement and is associated with amateur or burlesque writing.
Example
Example in poetry:
Doggerel: "Hickory, dickory, dock—the mouse ran up the clock"; "Roses are red, violets are blue—clichéd and clumsy"; "Comic verse with forced rhymes and bouncy meter"; "Poe’s 'The Bells' parodied as doggerel: 'Tinkle, tinkle, little star'"; "Intentionally bad poetry for satire or humor"
Additional Notes
Poorly crafted, irregular verse with comic or crude effect. Often unintentionally bad. Characterized by forced rhymes, broken meter, trivial content. Can be deliberate comic device. Contrast with serious verse.
Also Known As
Comic verse crude rhyme irregular verse clumsy poetry
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