Eugene Field

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1850, Eugene Field became known as an American writer, journalist, and humorist. Reliable reference sources agree that he is best remembered for children's poetry and light, whimsical verse, which helped earn him the nickname "the poet of childhood."

Field worked as a newspaperman as well as a poet, and that journalistic energy shows in the lively, conversational feel of his writing. Major reference and poetry sources describe him as especially popular for humorous essays and columns in addition to poems for children.

He died in Chicago in 1895, but poems such as "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" kept his name alive long after his lifetime. His writing remains associated with tenderness, playfulness, and a distinctly American sense of humor.