Posted by Dr. Seuss Day is coming up on March 2. Could you create effective marketing copy by imposing limits on how you write—as Dr. Seuss did? Should you?
For his best-selling children’s book Green Eggs and Ham, Seuss set himself a strict limit of only 50 words. Considering that he successfully got an entire generation of kids learning to read and having fun doing it, his writing techniques are worth examining.
Using literary devices you wouldn’t normally use might hem in your writing ability—or completely unleash it.
Seuss not only used small amounts of simple words, but also explored repetition, alliteration, and rhyme, and he invented new words while crafting his stories. Kids couldn’t get enough.
As we celebrate Dr. Seuss Day, what can we learn from him?
1. Rhyming helps solidify memory
Why is it that you can remember marketing slogans from 5, 15, or even 35 years ago, but you can’t seem to remember anything on the shopping list you left at home? I wager that many, if not nearly all, those memorable slogans rhymed.
Rhyming is the literary device that most people associate with the works of Dr. Seuss. Rhyme turns out to be a powerful element that made his books both treasured and unforgettable.