Dr. Seuss

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to happen.  It's not." - Dr. Seuss

I know a lot of blogs will be telling you how to make Cat in the Hat treats today, or sharing which of Dr. Seuss' works is their favorite, or mis-attributing quotes to him. (Here's a hint, if it doesn't rhyme, it probably wasn't in any of his books!)  But I want to talk about what made his works great: meter and rhyme.

Dr. Seuss was arguably one of the best, wisest users of meter and rhyme since Shakespeare himself.  His books are catchy because you can't help but chant them exactly how he wrote them.  I am fascinated by meter because it hearkens back to preliterate days, when bards had to remember long histories and stories, and they had to get them just right.  So each line they memorized had an easy-to-remember pattern of beats and emphasis, and often either rhymed or alliterated.

This is why when I am 80 and have forgotten so many other things, I will still be able to spit out:
I like the Zable on the table and the Ghair under the chair,
But that Bofa on the Sofa, well, I wish he wasn't there...

Don't get me wrong, Maeve and I love his illustrations, they give his books a wackiness and a zaniness that nothing else could.  But the hook is the rhyme and the beat, absolutely.  That's what makes the books so accessible to Maeve, too, she can look at the pictures and hear the rhyme, and almost always correctly predict the last work of each line, which is an important pre-reading step.


There's a Wocket in my Pocket is her favorite right now, and the page she likes best is the Nellar and the Wellar and the Gellar and the Dellar and Bellar and the Zellar in the Cellar.  I have to say it really fast, too, she particularly likes it if I trip up and get it wrong.  But The Lorax has always been my favorite, ever since my hippie 4th grade teacher had us read it and then send letters to the president of Brazil asking him to stop allowing the rain forest to be cut down.

Because on top of being a rhyme and meter genius and a great artist, Dr. Seuss had something to say.  He wasn't ashamed of what he believed, and put it into his books.  He was a Democrat, a pacifist, and an environmentalist, and it shows in his words.  He has such a beautiful legacy, and I love reading his books to my daughter.  So happy birthday, Ted Geisel!

Watch out for Wockets!