Happy 107th Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was born on March 2, 1904 and died of throat cancer on September 24,1991.  While at Dartmouth College Theodor was the editor of a humor magazine, The Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. After he and nine of his friends were caught drinking gin (this was in the middle of the Prohibition), he was asked to step down from all extra curricular activities.  So the administration would not know that he was still writing for the campus magazine, Theodor began using Seuss as a nom-de-plume. Six months later he added Dr. and the name Dr. Seuss was created.  Geisel also used Theo Lesieg as another pen name.  To learn more about his life, the poetic meter of his work, or how he pronounced his name click here. 

Dr. Seuss was a liberal democrat.  He did not believe one should put morals in stories because children "can see a moral coming a mile off."  However he did use his books to confront moral issues.  In his own words, Dr. Suess described himself to be as "subversive as hell."

Next time you read Dr. Seuss, look at the worldview he portrays. What do you think he is trying to get across? It is interesting to cross reference his political cartoons with some of the characters in his books. 

Dr. Seuss did have many good things to say too!  Here are just a few. 

“Today you are you, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is youer than you.”

“Be who you are and say what you feel

because those who mind don't matter

and those who matter don't mind.”

“Don't cry because it's over.

Smile because it happened.”

“Sometimes the questions

 are complicated

and the answers are simple.”

“I meant what I said and I said what I meant.

An elephant's faithful one-hundred percent!”

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

“A person's a person, no matter how small.”

“Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So... get on your way.”

“"All alone!

Whether you like it or not,
alone is something you'll
be quite a lot"”

“From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.”

"The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird,
and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours,
we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness
and call it love."

"So be sure when you step,
Step with care and great tact.
And remember that life's A Great Balancing Act.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed)
Kid, you'll move mountains."

"They say I'm old-fashioned,
and live in the past,
but sometimes I think
progress progresses too fast!"

"Look at me!

Look at me!
Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun
But you have to know how."

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”




"There's no limit to how much you'll know,
depending how far beyond zebra you go."

"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"


References:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss
2. http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/61105.Dr_Seuss