Ogden Nash: The Two Minute Biography

"Reflections on Ice-Breaking" by Ogden Nash:

Candy
Is Dandy
But liquor
Is quicker.

Ogden Nash may well be considered Dr. Seuss' older, brattier brother. Both Ogden Nash and Dr. Seuss are among the greatest writers of what is generally referred to as nonsensical poetry, but that is definitely not a correct definition. Nonsensical poetry is better used to describe the words coming out of the mouths of every Republican politician; what Nash and Seuss do is include some offbeat made-up words to make very sensible points. Ogden Nash, like Seuss, is capable of making you laugh out just moments before you realize that what you just read was incredibly insightful and profound.

Born Frederick Ogden Nash not long after the turn of the last century in New York, his route to poetry may have been due to the fact that he was almost totally isolated within a dark room for nearly a year following a very serious eye infection. It was during this brief respite from reality that Nash's mother home-schooled him and, due to his vision problems, he was forced to rely on his hearing and memory more. Reading an Ogden Nash poem is something akin to listening to music. You can see the bizarre and off-kilter images he often utilizes and, even more so, you can imagine a revolutionary Broadway musical based on his sing-song lyrics. First there was Seussical the Musical; why not Nash the Musical?

"Ode to a Baby" by Ogden Nash:

A bit of talcum
Is always walcum.