In-depth Analysis: Ogden Nash's 'Kindly Unhitch That Star, Buddy' Poem

This essay presents a critical analysis of Ogden Nash's poem "Kindly Unhitch that Star, Buddy," exploring its themes of ambition and the societal obsession with success. The analysis focuses on Nash's use of satire, humor, and metaphors to critique the relentless pursuit of unattainable goals. The essay delves into the poet's tone, diction, and use of sound devices like rhyme and repetition to emphasize his message. It examines how Nash employs new words and parallel structures to highlight the different approaches people take to achieve success and the potential pitfalls of such a pursuit. The analysis also considers the author's perspective, suggesting that Nash's personal experiences inform his critique of the often futile and demanding nature of the quest for personal achievement.

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Kindly unhitch that star, Buddy by Ogden Nesh
Analysis
The typical quest for acquiring greater goals is not coming to an extinction soon and
individuals in the societal setting are not quite satisfied. Therefore, in the poem "kindly
Unhitch that star, Buddy, the main author, Ogden cautions people from dreaming a strategic
long-term achievement that has no possibility of being attained in the long run. Literally, this
means that long and difficult points through entire life are futile in unattainable goal
perspectives. The main theme shows how people are obsessed with success.
The author uses a serious, heavy tone indicating a critical mood. The mood is very consistent
throughout the entire poem. The poet used this particular tone in order to portray the
seriousness of his ideas and emphasize on the critical point.
The writer Ogden Nash utilize diction in an effective manner to indicate how individual’s
great efforts and need for success is distinct. Nash utilizes the key words……. “’Others seem
to think they will get just far by devoting their evenings to the stuffy of the difference
between brunettance and blondance…." (Nash 20-22). This phrase indicates the routes and
ways that individuals undertake in order to reach their future goals and succeed in all their.
The vital words significant in this specific statement in the poem are both brunnetance and
blondance, (Plimpton, 22). These words are properly used by the author to emphasize on how
people believe that they will be unique if they will change their hair colour. The writer has a
nostalgia attitude. This is done so that the readers can be serious and take much interest in the
ideas being presented.
He also utilizes properly coordinated diction when he uses the following set of phrases,"…
which perhaps is just as well since everybody was a success nobody could be contemptuous
of anybody else….”

The poet uses sound devices like rhyme such as wow and how.
In the phrase, the single word contemptuous is indicated two times thus contributing to the
focus on the whole stanza of the poem. The word contemptuous is bold and efficient thus
correctly cast-off to show the emotion that successful individuals get towards normal people
who are considered as inferior, lower level or less worth (Plimpton, 25). This proves the
ideological theme that shows how life's journey would be incomplete and unfair.
This satirical poem combines humour, metaphors and a wide range of much ridicule so as to
highly show critique on peoples hunger constantly striving for personal success. The author
of the poem uses the first person making it simple to express the ideas and unique themes. It
also enables him to have a tone that shows views from his own experience and perspective
(Durbin, 55).
It's a metrical composition by Nash with the main theme which discuss how individuals
engage in a stiff search for personal success. The author is deemed to have high opinions and
experience in addressing matters regarding success. The use of solid words with power to
denote is significant as readers are able to clearly understand.
The author uses long lines and repetitive words in the sentences so as to extensively indicate
the techniques of those who want to achieve success quickly and also indicate his view on
each of the life's journeys (Preminger, 112). It makes the reader understand just how
demanding it is to read. The lines enable the reader to slow down, catch a breath in order to
read effectively. This makes it possible to reconstruct the focus whereby success seekers are
struggling to fight a battle that is anticipated to be lost.
In the poem, Nash uses new words such as bailiffim and sheriffim.The author also applies a
poetic parallel structure effectively showing similar ideas of techniques on ways to achieve
success in people lives. For example, the structure as unfolded in the following line, "indeed,

everybody wants to be a wow/but not everybody knows exactly how shows a parallel theme
that expresses the basic ideas that every person need to be successful and no one wants to fail.
However, everyone has distinct opinions on ways to achieve success. Another instance of the
paralleled poetic structure is,''…other people think they will be able to put in more time at
Palm and Ritz''

Works cited
Durbin, Andrew. Mature Themes. Nightboat Books, 2014.
Plimpton, George. The Bogey Man: A Month on the PGA Tour. Little, Brown, 2016.
Preminger, Alex, Frank J. Warnke, and Osborne Bennett Hardison Jr, eds. Princeton
encyclopedia of poetry and poetics. Princeton University Press, 2015.