Dixon Lanier Merritt
Encyclopedia
Dixon Lanier Merritt was a poet
and humorist. He was a newspaper editor for the Tennessean, Nashville
's morning paper, and President of the American Press Humorists Association.
He penned this well-known limerick
in 1910:
or:
The limerick, inspired by a post card sent to him by a female reader of his newspaper column who was visiting Florida beaches. It is often misattributed to Ogden Nash
and is widely misquoted as demonstrated above. It is quoted in a number of scholarly works on ornithology
, including "Manual of Ornithology: Avian Structure and Function," by Noble S. Proctor and Patrick J. Lynch, and several others.
Merritt served as Tennessee State Director of Public Safety, taught at Cumberland University and was editor of the "The Tennessean" and "Lebanon Democrat" newspapers and later contributed a column for many years called "Our Folks". During the 1920s he was the Southern correspondent for "Outlook" magazine, a weekly newsmagazine aimed at rural readers. He edited a comprehensive "History of Wilson County (Tennessee)" in his eighties. He worked for the U.S. federal government twice, around the time of both World Wars, and ultimately retired from the Rural Electrification Administration's telephone program office.
Merritt was a founding member of the Tennessee Ornithological Society
. A nature center at the Tennessee Cedars of Lebanon State Park is named for him. He served as President of the Society of American Press Humorists. Following World War I he returned to the familial farm near Lebanon, TN and using portions of various cedar log cabins nearly one hundred years old assembled a new structure on a hill which he dubbed "Cabincroft". Croft being a Scottish word for a place of shelter. He maintained a working farm into his seventies preferring natural methods.
Born Dixon Lanier Abernathy, his parents divorced while he was a child and one of his five uncles subsequently adopted him. Upon achieving majority at age 21 Dixon legally changed his surname to Merritt, something he said he regreted later in life.
Dixon Merritt was married twice, first to Hatton [need maiden name] Merritt of Kentucky ending in divorce with issue of a son and daughter (all deceased) and the second to Ruth Yates of New York with issue of two sons (still living as of January 2009).
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and humorist. He was a newspaper editor for the Tennessean, Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
's morning paper, and President of the American Press Humorists Association.
He penned this well-known limerick
Limerick (poetry)
A limerick is a kind of a witty, humorous, or nonsense poem, especially one in five-line or meter with a strict rhyme scheme , which is sometimes obscene with humorous intent. The form can be found in England as of the early years of the 18th century...
in 1910:
- A wonderful bird is the pelican
PelicanA pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
,- His bill will hold more than his belican,
- He can take in his beak
- Enough food for a week
- But I'm damned if I see how the helican!
or:
- A funny old bird is a pelican.
- His beak can hold more than his bellican.
- Food for a week
- He can hold in his beak,
- But I don't know how the hellican.
The limerick, inspired by a post card sent to him by a female reader of his newspaper column who was visiting Florida beaches. It is often misattributed to Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash
Frederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
and is widely misquoted as demonstrated above. It is quoted in a number of scholarly works on ornithology
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
, including "Manual of Ornithology: Avian Structure and Function," by Noble S. Proctor and Patrick J. Lynch, and several others.
Merritt served as Tennessee State Director of Public Safety, taught at Cumberland University and was editor of the "The Tennessean" and "Lebanon Democrat" newspapers and later contributed a column for many years called "Our Folks". During the 1920s he was the Southern correspondent for "Outlook" magazine, a weekly newsmagazine aimed at rural readers. He edited a comprehensive "History of Wilson County (Tennessee)" in his eighties. He worked for the U.S. federal government twice, around the time of both World Wars, and ultimately retired from the Rural Electrification Administration's telephone program office.
Merritt was a founding member of the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Tennessee Ornithological Society
The Tennessee Ornithological Society is an independent non-profit educational, scientific, and conservation organization in Tennessee, dedicated to the study and conservation of birds. It was formed in 1915 and has published a quarterly journal, The Migrant, since 1930...
. A nature center at the Tennessee Cedars of Lebanon State Park is named for him. He served as President of the Society of American Press Humorists. Following World War I he returned to the familial farm near Lebanon, TN and using portions of various cedar log cabins nearly one hundred years old assembled a new structure on a hill which he dubbed "Cabincroft". Croft being a Scottish word for a place of shelter. He maintained a working farm into his seventies preferring natural methods.
Born Dixon Lanier Abernathy, his parents divorced while he was a child and one of his five uncles subsequently adopted him. Upon achieving majority at age 21 Dixon legally changed his surname to Merritt, something he said he regreted later in life.
Dixon Merritt was married twice, first to Hatton [need maiden name] Merritt of Kentucky ending in divorce with issue of a son and daughter (all deceased) and the second to Ruth Yates of New York with issue of two sons (still living as of January 2009).