The Eel

The Eel - meaning Summary

Playful Disgust at Eels

Ogden Nash's "The Eel" tersely states a personal aversion: the speaker accepts eels in general but not as food, and especially dislikes their touch. In three brisk lines the poem compresses a comic, conversational confession of disgust. Its brevity and plain language turn a small preference into a humorous, memorable claim about bodily sensation and appetite, inviting readers to smile at an oddly specific dislike.