The Playground of Poetry: Light Verse and Whimsy

"The Poetry Reading," before 1938, by Vittorio Reggianini. Oil on canvas. Public Domain

I never saw a Purple Cow, I never hope to see one, But I can tell you, anyhow, I’d rather see than be one!

In 1895, American writer and humorist Frank Gelett Burgess penned those lines, which became one of the most famous American nonsense rhymes.

Frank Burgess, circa 1910. Selections from the Bancroft Library Portrait Collection. Public Domain