Dr. Seuss

I don't know anyone who doesn't like Dr. Seuss books. Most kids, in my experience at least, learned to read with Dr. Seuss books. Ted Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, wrote the Cat in the Hat for the purpose of getting kids more interested in reading. Geisel is a widely celebrated and acclaimed children's author. He has sold over 220 million copies and his works have been translated in 15 languages.In 53 years of writing Seuss wrote and illustrated 44 books several of which have been best sellers. Books such as The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, and the Christmas classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Geisel's books are not just children's first exposure to reading of literature but their first exposure to poetry as well.

Some may argue that Dr. Seuss's books aren't true poetry because they are made for children and sometimes contain to rand moral lesson. However as it is written in "What is Poetry" A poem does not have to have a moral. Dr. Seuss goes well beyond simply using poetic devices such as rhyme scheme and anapestic tetrameter. His poems inspire wonder and imagination in more than just there target audience. It is for this reason that they have achieved such success. They literally ad figuratively paint out an entirely new world to step into wrought entirely from imagination. A world of wonder that most themselves could not imagine. In the words of Perrine "It enlarges our perspectives and breaks down some of the limits we may feel". This is the perfect definition for how Seuss books make people feel.The world they paint is so unique and original that stepping into it dissolves many of the limitations that exist in our world that is bland in comparison. The books of Dr. Seuss fit Perrine's definition of poetry perfectly. These are my favorite poems.