Ogden+Nash

Ogden Nash

//40. Word to Husbands// *The speaker provides husbands with advices to keep their 'marriage brimming with love in the loving cup.' *By comparing love to water, the speaker is suggesting certain traits of love, where it can be powerful, unpredictable and with many appearances like water. *'brimming with love' suggests the advice the speaker is about to give is so effective and useful that it will keep the marriage at its fullest and most passionate. *The speaker then advices the husbands, 'whenever you are wrong, admit it; whenever you are right, shut up.' *The structure of these two lines are the save, however, it describes two completely different scenarios. *The advice given suggests the men to admit their faults and not voice their opinions when they are right. This suggest that the key to keeping a marriage happy is to please the wife.

//41. Always Marry an April Girl// *In this poem, the speaker expresses his affection towards 'April.' *He characterizes April to be 'gracious, cruel, tender and rowdy.' It can be 'soft in flowered languor,' or 'cold with sudden anger.' *There is some ambiguity whether the speaker is describing a girl named April or the season April, or perhaps he is characterizing both. Suggesting an April Girl is someone with the same qualities as the month April. *April is 'ever changing,' because it is a transitional month between spring and summer, maybe with bits and pieces of winter lingering. Yet, it is 'ever true.' Despite its multiple appearances, all is true. *The speaker then says, 'I love April, I love you.' This can be seen as a repetition of his claim of love, in order to emphasizes his affection. Or it may be him expressing his love towards April, as well as the girl with the same characteristics as the month.

//42. Biological Reflection// *The poem comments on men's perception of beauty, and how it can be manipulated by the application of makeup. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">*The speaker confesses that 'a girl whose cheeks are covered with paint' is more compelling than 'one whose ain't.' This puts emphasis on the importance of appearance, although the speaker is aware the girl's beauty is accomplished through the use of makeup, she is still the one that has an 'advantage.' <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">*Even though the beauty presented by the aid of makeup is just an illusion, men still falls for it. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">*There is no mention of personality traits, as if all is determined by appearance. This may be another biological reflection where humans look for visible attractive trait that is believed to be a representation of gene superiority. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">*The title of the poem may be referring to the male's inherent preference for beauty, or the fact that beauty is something that is pursuit by all.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">//43. Celery// <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">*The poem utilizes the different ways to eat celery to present the necessity to compromise. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">*When celery is eaten 'raw' it 'develops the jaw.' When it is 'stewed' it is 'more quietly chewed.' <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">*The speaker may be suggesting that in order to appear more pleasant while eating, one must give up certain benefits. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">*The poem may also be reinforcing the importance of appearances and beauty. Although raw celery develops the jaw, this benefit may be given up for a better appearance. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">