nonsense verse

American  

noun

1. a form of light verse, usually for children, depicting imaginative characters in amusing situations of fantasy, whimsical in tone and with a rhythmic appeal, often employing fanciful phrases and meaningless made-up words.

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nonsense verse British  

noun

1. verse in which the sense is nonexistent or absurd, such as that of Edward Lear

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Etymology

Origin of nonsense verse

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

“Fountain” was rejected, but Alfred Stieglitz photographed it for this short-lived Dada magazine, which mixed nonsense verse with editorials that asked, “Where Art is concerned is New York satisfied to be like a provincial town?”

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2017

In his younger days, Alfred himself produced some exceptionally funny parodies and nonsense verse.

From Washington Post • Jul. 10, 2017

He was not afraid to make up words, such as “lubberland of dream and laughter”, or veer into nonsense verse.

From Economist • Aug. 15, 2013

Along the way he produced arresting poetry, including nonsense verse and some moving poems of the Blitz.

From BBC • May 10, 2013

It must be a not infrequent experience of most people that one frequently falls into pure jingle and nonsense verse of the nursery kind. . . .

From Children's Literature A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training Classes by Clippinger, Erle Elsworth