doggerel
Clumsy comic verse
Doggerel is crude, awkward verse—poetry that stumbles rhythmically or relies on forced rhymes.
The term is dismissive, suggesting work that fails to achieve poetic grace: The greeting card's doggerel made her cringe.
Sometimes used self-deprecatingly by poets about their lesser efforts.
Matching terminal sounds
- meterDevice that measures usage
- coupletTwo successive verse lines
- quatrainFour-line poetic unit
- stanzaPoem's line grouping
jingle · singsong · verse · rhythm · scansion · foot · iambic · trochee
Meaningless words or actions
- drivelSenseless, silly talk
- piffleTrivial, worthless nonsense
- balderdashSenseless talk or writing
- twaddleTrivial, foolish talk
tripe · claptrap · rubbish · fluff · poppycock · hokum · bunkum · trifle
Comedic five-line poem
- jingleBrief advertising melody
- dittyShort, simple song
- nonsense verseIntentionally illogical poetry
- light verseHumorous, often rhyming poetry
parody · burlesque · spoof · lampoon · mock-heroic · jest · whimsical · droll
Lacking professional skill
- unpolishedLacking finish or refinement
- clumsyLacking physical coordination
- artlessLacking deceit or cunning
- inelegantLacking grace or refinement
stilted · forced · awkward · unsophisticated · primitive · rudimentary · slapdash · careless
rhyme
Matching terminal sounds
stanza · jingle · singsong · verse · rhythm · scansion · foot · iambic · trochee · anapest
nonsense
Meaningless words or actions
- drivelSenseless, silly talk
- piffleTrivial, worthless nonsense
- balderdashSenseless talk or writing
twaddle · tripe · claptrap · rubbish · fluff · poppycock · hokum · bunkum · trifle · frivolity
limerick
Comedic five-line poem
- jingleBrief advertising melody
- dittyShort, simple song
- nonsense verseIntentionally illogical poetry
light verse · parody · burlesque · spoof · lampoon · mock-heroic · jest · whimsical · droll · facetious
amateurish
Lacking professional skill
- unpolishedLacking finish or refinement
- clumsyLacking physical coordination
- artlessLacking deceit or cunning
inelegant · stilted · forced · awkward · unsophisticated · primitive · rudimentary · slapdash · careless · rough
- comedy termsjokes, puns, wit, sarcasm, irony
- comedy writingjoke, jokes, comedy, satire, parody
- rhymes & versesnursery rhymes, limericks, couplets, children's verse, Mother Goose
- poetry termspoetry, rhyme, verse, rhythm, meter
- comic verselight verse, limerick, nonsense verse
- folk versefolk ballad, folk song, nursery rhyme, lullaby, ballad
doggerelepic poetry
Extended narrative in verse
high art · lyric poetry · classical poetry · Milton · Dante