AuntShecky
03-03-2011, 03:53 PM
Yesterday would've been the 107th birthday of Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss
In tribute to the good doctor is this little ditty written seven years ago on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
Be a good man and try not to scan,
for surely you'lll scoff at the meter that's off.
say I, fully aware of the following admonitions:
cited from the wikipedia article: "The consistency of his meter was one of his hallmarks; the many imitators and parodists of Geisel are often unable to write in strict anapestic tetrameter, or are unaware that they should, and thus sound clumsy in comparison."
Well, every doggerel has its day. Besides, it's the thought that counts.
The Doctor Was Always “In”
All kinds of whoozies and whatsamadoozits
all hail from Springfield, Massachusetts,
where Ted Geisel was born and wet his feet –
And to Think You Can Still See it on Howard Street.
Dartmouth’s the place where 'twas let loose
first stirrings of sillies signed by “Seuss.”
For writing and drawing he had a real itch,
with years of scratching to find his niche.
Writers today when hearing just “Nope!”
can look at the doctor for shots of hope --
‘Cause his first book of drawings and rhymes
Was nixed by publishers –- twenty-seven times!
Meanwhile in ‘57 with TVs and such --
Little folks weren’t into reading so much.
There was no Internet, no e-mails to type,
but a kids’ book was as dull as a rusted old pipe.
Kids could learn to read, like it or lump it,
But they’d sooner take a rope and jump it
Or an amusement park car and bump it,
or a bicycle tire and pump it.
Well, SOME liked reading --
but most of ‘em lumped it.
The Doc, not wanting little minds to lag,
let The Cat in the Hat out of the bag.
Thanks to his drawing and rhyming muses,
sleeping minds, sprung from their snoozes,
lapped that one right up, crying
“Give us more Seuss-es!”
(seconded by the Cerfs, Bennett and Phyllis.)
Random House swamped with orders to fill, as
Dr. Seuss – whom only a Grinch would call a hack--
coaxed The Cat in the Hat to Come Back.
When socks went on the fox, not on the lam,
Dr. Seuss ordered up some Green Eggs and Ham.
Horton ( we all know) was nobody’s fool.
Strange crawly whazits lurked in McElligot’s Pool--
But did you know that The Lorax
Was For the Environment
long before Being For the Environment
was cool?
Generations of little readers, little Stevies and Susies,
Dug reading from Seussbooks, which like Mayzie were doozies.
All the Whos down in Whoville, not to mention the Sneetches
Or Yertle the Turtle on water or beaches--
From the tops of our caps right down to our breeches,
From the cat’s stovepipe hat to the Grinch’s green fur –
No one had to tell us How Lucky We Were –
For the pictures and pages we held till they bent,
Thanks, Dr. Seuss for--
the Places We Went!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss
In tribute to the good doctor is this little ditty written seven years ago on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
Be a good man and try not to scan,
for surely you'lll scoff at the meter that's off.
say I, fully aware of the following admonitions:
cited from the wikipedia article: "The consistency of his meter was one of his hallmarks; the many imitators and parodists of Geisel are often unable to write in strict anapestic tetrameter, or are unaware that they should, and thus sound clumsy in comparison."
Well, every doggerel has its day. Besides, it's the thought that counts.
The Doctor Was Always “In”
All kinds of whoozies and whatsamadoozits
all hail from Springfield, Massachusetts,
where Ted Geisel was born and wet his feet –
And to Think You Can Still See it on Howard Street.
Dartmouth’s the place where 'twas let loose
first stirrings of sillies signed by “Seuss.”
For writing and drawing he had a real itch,
with years of scratching to find his niche.
Writers today when hearing just “Nope!”
can look at the doctor for shots of hope --
‘Cause his first book of drawings and rhymes
Was nixed by publishers –- twenty-seven times!
Meanwhile in ‘57 with TVs and such --
Little folks weren’t into reading so much.
There was no Internet, no e-mails to type,
but a kids’ book was as dull as a rusted old pipe.
Kids could learn to read, like it or lump it,
But they’d sooner take a rope and jump it
Or an amusement park car and bump it,
or a bicycle tire and pump it.
Well, SOME liked reading --
but most of ‘em lumped it.
The Doc, not wanting little minds to lag,
let The Cat in the Hat out of the bag.
Thanks to his drawing and rhyming muses,
sleeping minds, sprung from their snoozes,
lapped that one right up, crying
“Give us more Seuss-es!”
(seconded by the Cerfs, Bennett and Phyllis.)
Random House swamped with orders to fill, as
Dr. Seuss – whom only a Grinch would call a hack--
coaxed The Cat in the Hat to Come Back.
When socks went on the fox, not on the lam,
Dr. Seuss ordered up some Green Eggs and Ham.
Horton ( we all know) was nobody’s fool.
Strange crawly whazits lurked in McElligot’s Pool--
But did you know that The Lorax
Was For the Environment
long before Being For the Environment
was cool?
Generations of little readers, little Stevies and Susies,
Dug reading from Seussbooks, which like Mayzie were doozies.
All the Whos down in Whoville, not to mention the Sneetches
Or Yertle the Turtle on water or beaches--
From the tops of our caps right down to our breeches,
From the cat’s stovepipe hat to the Grinch’s green fur –
No one had to tell us How Lucky We Were –
For the pictures and pages we held till they bent,
Thanks, Dr. Seuss for--
the Places We Went!