Context

This line is from the poem “To My Valentine” by Ogden Nash (1941).

Do you hate happy couples holding hands and making out? Is Valentine's Day your least favorite greeting card holiday of the year? Are you tired of yet another star studded, saccharine romantic comedy dominating the domestic box office? Then “To My Valentine” by Ogden Nash is the poem for you.

“To My Valentine” is the dark, ironic antidote to sappy love poems, which have been a part of human civilization since writing was done on clay in cuneiform. In the poem, Nash compares many things to the person he loves, including Nazis, toothaches, and the smelly guy on the train.

His comparisons are simple, yet hilarious, and “To My Valentine” is a perfect example of Ogden Nash's pithy and accessible poetic style. He's a good poet to check out if you need a quick chuckle after a hard day at work or school and don't want to spend half the time deciphering meter or symbolism.

Where you've heard it

This poem is a perfect one to read at the start of a “Singles Awareness” party on Valentine's Day, or any time you see a happy couple strolling by. You can also use this line to get an abhorrent admirer to stop buying your drinks or asking for your number.

Additional Notable References:

• Tom O'Bedlam reads "To My Valentine" in his usual, wonderfully deep voiced manner.
• UK news magazine The Week included this poem in their list of the best love poems along with more traditional choices by Lord Byron and Shakespeare.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

This line is what the kids these days are calling a “sick burn,” and it's from a funny, down-to-Earth poem so it's not pretentious at all.