Ogden+Nash.

Ogden Nash //__Ogden Nash and His Mind-Captivating Existence__//

Ogden Nash was an American poet, born in New York. Though he did not stay there for long. His father owned an import-export company, and because of business obligations, his family was forced to move around often. Once, he lived in Savannah, Georgia, in the house that belong to the soon to be founder of Girl Scouts of America. After writing many poems while living there, in 1920 he was accepted into Harvard University. After a mere year, he dropped out, and hopped from job to job, working in places like bond sales shops and movie theatres. Eventually, he found his way to a publishing house. Ever since then, he wrote poem after poem. If not writing, he spent his time making guest appearance in comedy and radio shows. He toured the United States and the United Kingdom. His most famous characteristic was how he wrote in rhyme, him claiming that it was how his thought process worked. In his beginning writings, he attempted to produce serious verse in the style of eighteenth-century Romantic poets, but he quickly gave up. His style of writing was light-hearted, comedic, and fun. Often times, he made up his own words and presented amusing quirks of the English Language. In 1931, he married Frances Rider Leonard, and they started a family with two daughters. This gave him even more inspiration for his writing, causing him to write //The Bad Parents’ Garden of Verse.// Nash was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Institute of Arts and Letters. It was a sad day on May 19, 1971, when Ogden Nash died. Even then, some of his collections continued to be published.

Aim : Ogden Nash first tried to make his writing fit the norm, with sullen words and depressing topics. It took no time at all for him to realize that his true passion was to be himself: a silly, outgoing, and entertaining person. He then based all of his works from the inside of his childlike mid. He was a poet because it made him happy, nothing could stand in the way of his dream to make people happy with his words.

Audience : Ogden Nash wrote lighthearted, childish type rhymes. He was the author and contributor to countless children’s books, and was often sought out by publishing companies to write children’s books specifically. Though a large lot of his work was for children, his work could also fit in the minds of many. In the mid twentieth century he became the most widely read and frequently quoted poet of all time. This hit all age ranges, who avidly read his poetry for entertainment purposes.

Culture : Ogden Nash started his famous works in the 1920’s, or more commonly known as the “Age of Nonsense.” This time frame almost completely explains the quirky characteristics of Nash’s works. It was the beginning of modern America. Politics, arts, sports, customs, and most importantly, literature hit an uproar of growth and popularity. It was a time of new ideas, new appearances, and new opportunities. He contributed and fit into the grove of this culture like a charm.

Historical : Ogden Nash is recognized all throughout America. He influenced the lives of many, making days brighter and more bearable, even when times were not the best. He helped set up the standard for humor and entertainment today, also widening the range of topics for poetry to be less serious and added more variety to happier tones.

__Poem one: //First Child…Second Child//__ FIRST

Be it a girl, or one of the boys,

It is scarlet all over its avoirdupois ,

It is red, it is boiled; could the obstetrician

Have possibly been a lobstertrician?

His degrees and credentials were hunky-dory,

But how's for an infantile inventory?

Here's the prodigy, here's the miracle!

Whether its head is oval or spherical,

You rejoice to find it has only one,

Having dreaded a two-headed daughter or son;

Here's the phenomenon all complete,

It's got two hands, it's got two feet,

Only natural, but pleasing, because

For months you have dreamed of flippers or claws.

Furthermore, it is fully equipped:

Fingers and toes with nails are tipped;

It's even got eyes, and a mouth clear cut;

When the mouth comes open the eyes go shut,

When the eyes go shut, the breath is loosed

And the presence of lungs can be deduced.

Let the rockets flash and the cannon thunder,

This child is a marvel, a matchless wonder.

A staggering child, a child astounding,

Dazzling, diaperless, dumbfounding,

Stupendous, miraculous, unsurpassed,

A child to stagger and flabbergast,

Bright as a button, sharp as a thorn,

And the only perfect one ever born.

SECOND

Arrived this evening at half-past nine.

Everybody is doing fine.

Is it a boy, or quite the reverse?

You can call in the morning and ask the nurse.

__The Technique’s__: Rhyme Scheme. Definition: Corresponding sounds between words or word endings. Quote: "Arrived this evening at half-past nine, everybody is doing fine.”

Hyperbole. Definition: Exaggerations to create emphasis or effect. Quote: "And the only perfect one ever born.”

Symbolism. Definition: When a word is applied to an action where it is not literally applicable. Quote: "Is it scarlet all over its avoirdupois."

//__Mexico__// __by Cake__ Common literary elements: - Rhyme Scheme : "I was bound for Mexico, I was bound to let you go.” - Hyperbole : ”She was the sky." - Symbolism : “I was bright but she was much brighter.”

Lyrics: I had a match

But she had a lighter

I had a flame

But she had a fire

I was bright

But she was much brighter

I was high

But she was the sky

Oh baby

I was bound for Mexico

Oh baby

I was bound to let you go

I don't know much about Cinco de Mayo

I'm never sure what it's all about

But I say I want you

And you don't believe me

You say you want me

But I've got my doubts

Oh baby

I was bound for Mexico

Oh baby

I was bound to let you go

I had a match

But she had a lighter

I had a flame

But she had a fire

I was bright

But she was much brighter

I was high

But she was the sky

Oh baby

I was bound for Mexico

Oh baby

I was bound to let you go

(All right)

The Common Theme: Firsts outshine those that follow.

__Poem two: //Oh To Be Odd//____.__

Hypochondriacs

Spend the winter at the bottom of Florida and the summer on top of

the Adirondriacs.

You go to Paris and live on champagne wine and cognac

If you're dipsomognac.

If you're a manic-depressive

You don't go anywhere where you won't be cheered up, and people say VBC

"There, there!" if your bills are excessive.

But you stick around and work day and night and night and day with

your nose to the sawmill.

If you're nawmill.

Note: Dipsomaniac -- alcoholic

__The Technique’s__: Rhyme Scheme. Definition: An ordered pattern of word ending to sound similar. Quote: "If you’re a manic-depressive." “’There, There!’ if your bills are excessive.”

Hyperbole. Definition: An exaggeration to give emphasis. Quote: "You stick around and work day and night and night and day.”

Symbolism. Definition: using words to represent another meaning. Quote: "If you’re nawmill.” (a made up word meaning you do not continuously work, not like a factory.)

//__Wake Me Up When September Ends__// __by Green Day.__ Common literary elements: - Rhyme Scheme : "Falling from the stars." “Becoming who we are.” - Hyperbole : "The innocent can never last" -Symbolism : "Here comes the rain again, Falling from the stars.” (Rain is symbolizing the negative emotions and sadness)

Lyrics: Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up when September ends

Like my fathers come to pass

Seven years has gone so fast

Wake me up when September ends

Here comes the rain again

Falling from the stars

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are

As my memory rests

But never forget what I lost

Wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up when September ends

Ring out the bells again

Like we did when Spring began

Wake me up when September ends

Here comes the rain again

Falling from the stars

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are

As my memory rests

But never forgets what I lost

Wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up when September ends

Like my fathers come to pass

Twenty years has gone so fast

Wake me up when September ends

Wake me up when September ends

Wake me up when September ends

The Common Theme: Life continues on despite what people are going through.

__Poem three: //The Sniffle//__ __.__ In spite of her sniffle

Isabel's chiffle.

Some girls with a sniffle

Would be weepy and tiffle;

They would look awful,

Like a rained-on waffle ,

But Isabel's chiffle

In spite of her sniffle.

Her nose is more red

With a cold in her head,

But then, to be sure,

Her eyes are bluer.

Some girls with a snuffle,

Their tempers are uffle.

But when Isabel's snivelly

She's snivelly civilly,

And when she's snuffly

She's perfectly luffly.

__The Technique’s__: Rhyme Scheme. Definition: Words with similar endings made to sound alike. Quote: "In spite of her sniffle, Isabel’s chiffle.”

Simile. Definition: A comparison using like or as. Quote: "Like a rained-on waffle.”

Hyperbole. Definition: An exaggeration to make the circumstance more apparent. Quote: "Her nose is more red, with a cold in her head, but then to be sure, her eyes are bluer.” (Try to say that her eye are so much more vibrant simply because her nose is red.)

//__Fireflies__// __by Owl City.__ Common literary elements: - Rhyme Scheme : "You would not believe your eyes, If ten million fireflies." - Simile : "Leave my door open just a crack, I’m like an insomniac." - Hyperbole : "I’d get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs.”

Lyrics: You would not believe your eyes

If ten million fireflies

Lit up the world as I fell asleep

'Cause they'd fill the open air

And leave teardrops everywhere

You'd think me rude

But I would just stand and stare

I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay

Awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs

From ten thousand lightning bugs

As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head

A sock hop beneath my bed

A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay

Awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems

When I fall asleep

Leave my door open just a crack

(Please take me away from here)

'Cause I feel like such an insomniac

(Please take me away from here)

Why do I tire of counting sheep

(Please take me away from here)

When I'm far too tired to fall asleep

To ten million fireflies

I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes

I got misty eyes as they said farewell

But I'll know where several are

If my dreams get real bizarre

'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay

Awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems

When I fall asleep

I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay

Awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems

When I fall asleep

I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay

Awake when I'm asleep

Because my dreams are bursting at the seams

The Common Theme: Look on the bright side of every situation.

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