Guy Wetmore Carryl

Born in New York City in 1873, Guy Wetmore Carryl was an American poet, humorist, and children's writer whose reputation rests largely on his comic verse and literary parodies. He was the son of writer Charles Edward Carryl, and he studied at Columbia University before moving into magazine and newspaper work.

Carryl wrote with a quick, elegant wit that made him especially good at turning familiar stories inside out. He is best remembered for Fables for the Frivolous and Zig-Zags at the Zoo, books that gave old forms a playful, modern sparkle. Alongside his original poems, he also translated several works by French author Edmond Rostand, showing a range that went beyond light verse alone.

His career was promising but brief: he died in 1904, at only 31 years old. Even so, his poems and parodies have lasted because they are clever without feeling heavy, and funny without losing their craft.