| |
|
Ogden Nash was born in Rye, New York in 1902. His father owned and operated an import-export company, and because of business obligations, Nash's family relocated often.
In 1920 Nash was accepted into Harvard University, only to drop out a year later. He worked his way through a series of jobs, eventually landing a position as a copywriter at a Doubleday publishing house, where he first began to write poetry.
In 1931 Nash published his first collection of poems, Hard Lines, earning him national recognition. Some of his poems reflected an antiestablishment feeling. For example, one verse, entitled "Common Sense", asks: “Why did the lord give us agility if not to evade responsibility" . When Nash wasn’t writing poems, he made guest appearances on comedy and radio shows. Mr. Nash also occupied his time touring the United States and England, giving lectures at colleges and universities.
Nash died in 1971 and is interred in North Hampton, New Hampshire.