I Wouldn't Have Missed It: Selected Poems

by Ogden Nash

I Wouldn't Have Missed It: Selected Poems of Ogden Nash represents in one distinguished volume the whole sweep of the "undisputed laureate" in his field, who was "probably the most quoted of contemporary American poets, with a larger and more appreicative audience than any other poet." This new and final collection selected by his daughters gathers together more than four hundred of his poems. It fills the needs for a single, up-to-date selection from all of Ogden Nash's previous collections, covering more than four decades of his unique observation of the human condition and his enormously satisfying poetic achievement.

Genres: Poetry, Humor, Classics

407 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1975

About the author

Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".

Reviews

[Cookie M.]

I started memorizing the short Ogden Nash humorous poems when I was a kid.
"Tell me, octopus, I begs.
Is those things arms, or is they legs?
I marvel at thee, octopus.
If I were thou I'd call me us."

Isn't that just the thing to tickle a 10 year old budding elocutionist's fancy? And there were loads of them!
About the time I technically grew up this book was published and I treated myself to it.
I discovered there was more to Mr. Nash than silly short poems.
He is famously known for his poignant poem about, "Old Men," written when he was a perceptive 28 years old, but my favorite of all is one called, "I Didn't Go to Church Today."
Google it. It is the Ogden Nash I love the best

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to start my day with a poem or two, so I’m always on the lookout for good poetry anthologies. I’m not sure why Ogden Nash jumped out at me at the Dinky Town Book House, but somewhere in my youth I was introduced to his poems, so couldn't help myself in purchasing this one. This anthology, published in 1975, includes poems throughout Nash’s career, ranging from 1930 to 1972 (a year after his death) so one gets a good picture and feeling for the poet’s work. I do think I enjoy his earlier work more than his later, he gets a little depressing and caught up with aging, but overall, the guy is witty and entertaining. A pretty good social commentator too!

[Cat Rayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this book up at a library sale, more curious about Ogden Nash on a larger scale than “one of America’s wittiest poets” of the 20th Century.

Reading here, and reading there, some poems were worthy of a chuckle, others a tad dark, and most a snarky rendition of how Nash saw the world.

My rating is biased, with 2 stars, because this is far from my “cup of tea”. Fortunately for Nash, it is the choice of many. Now my curiosity is sated.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cheerful orange volume of Ogden Nash’s poems has been with me since childhood. As a kid, I loved the mini-poems about animals. Now, I’m struck by how down-to-earth his subjects are, and I especially enjoy the poems that bring humor to aging, money, work, and the wonderfully ordinary mess of daily life.

[Skylar Burris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A large collection of varying quality, but overall the poems are smart and funny. It took me a long time to read because I don't think Ogden Nash is someone to be read in large chunks. A few poems a week will do you.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of his poems that showed he was a husband and father, and his observations still apply. I also liked that he mentioned Thornton W. Burgess a couple times.

[Richard Worden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nash's way with words brought forth much laughter.

[Gato Negro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A re-read from my teenage years. What a fabulous book. Every word in it is so intellectually pleasing and light hearted. Nash was an absolute genius of a poet.

[David Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was dreading this, fearing Nash would be like Nipsey Russell, but these poems turn out to be smart, delightful and full of surprises. The varied line lengths, the misspellings to drive home a rhyme, make the best of these dance on the page, and the subject matter is often acerbic or pleasantly odd.

[Charliece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of his poems are dated, as they refer to current events and people of mid-20th century New York, but many are timeless, pithy and jolt one's sense of self-righteousness, like "Grandpa is Ashamed"

A child need not be very clever
To learn that "Later, dear" means "Never."

[Mary Tuley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have SUCH a weakness for Ogden Nash.

[Katie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

My must-read poetry collection. Witty, dry, and occasionally surprising in his emotion. Nash is a gem.

[Bea Alden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny, in a timeless way.