Nash, Ogden

REPTILES OF THE WORLD, UNITE. SEVEN POEMS BY OGDEN NASH [Signed]

New York City: Fleming Joffe, 1953. Group of seven poems by Ogden Nash displayed with small decorative reptile skin textures above each poem. Signed by Nash in black Sharpie. Condition of print is Very Good, with mild age toning. Mat shows age toning and wear to edges. Mat measures 20.75 in. x 27.75 in. Will ship unframed. Shelved at Rockville Room D.

1411513

Special Collections - Upstairs

Price: $3,000

NOTES

Ogden Nash (1902–1971) was one of the most popular American humorists of the 20th century, celebrated for his witty, irreverent verse that played with language, unexpected rhymes, and everyday absurdities; his poems were widely published in magazines like The New Yorker and often turned ordinary subjects—animals, manners, modern life—into clever, memorable miniatures. Nash had a particular fondness for writing about animals, using them as vehicles for satire and wordplay, and his reptile-themed poems (as seen in pieces like “Reptiles of the World, Unite”) exemplify this approach: brief, humorous observations that exaggerate the quirks and reputations of creatures like snakes, crocodiles, and lizards, pairing light zoological reference with sharp comedic twists. In this context, reptile poetry wasn’t meant as scientific or naturalist writing, but as a playful extension of Nash’s broader style—turning even the cold-blooded and often-feared into subjects of charm, irony, and distinctly American literary humor.