Shel Silverstein Poetry Analysis

Shel Silverstein, the author of, “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, was a musician and poet known for writing children books such as, “The Giving Tree” (Shel Silverstein). He was born on September 25, 1930 and died on May 8, 1999 (Shel Silverstein). Throughout his life Mr.Silverstein, worked in many diverse occupations ranging from the military to becoming an author (Shel Silverstein). Because majority of his books and poems were for children, they (the books and poems) often incorporated positive imagery, metaphors, etc. In the poem, “Where The Sidewalk Ends”, Shel Silverstein uses imagery, shift, and personal pronouns to identify that adults must forget about the materialistic things in their lives to achieve a greater sense of happiness and joy.

Laughter is a crucial thing in our everyday lives and is something you will inevitably do when you are reading Shel Silverstein's poems. Have you ever wondered what would happen if Uncle Ben found a mouse in the house or what a woman in a mink coat fought for? In all of his poems Shel Silverstein uses humor to make a connection with the reader. Shel Silverstein was a jack of all trades, not only was he a fantastic author, but he was also a musician! Although in Shel Silverstein's work he does not have a deeper meaning or connection to his life, often times his poems have a moral. In all of Shel Silverstein’s poems, you can see his creative and humorous sides.

“Dubbed ‘the most popular poet in America’ by Bruce Weber in the New York Times, Billy Collins is famous for conversational, witty poems that welcome readers with humor but often slip into quirky, tender or profound observation on the everyday, reading and writing, and poetry itself” (“Billy Collins”).“Billy Collins was the American Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003” (534). His work was highly recognized due to his use of literary elements and his high intellect in the field of poetry. Collins constantly receives praise from others. For example John Updike has been quoted praising his poems saying, “lovely poems...limpid, gently and consistently startling, more serious than they seem, they describe all the worlds that are and were and some others besides” (“Billy Collins”). “Schoolsville” is a classic poem that has been read and enjoyed for many years. The literary elements used throughout the poem help readers relate more to the speaker’s life. Through the use of similes, form and others, Collins provides the audience with a timeless work that shows how reflecting on past experiences can help one in the present. While others may think that this poem is strictly comical and was written only for a sense of enjoyment, some readers interpreted the work as holding a deeper meaning that helps readers transfer the knowledge from the past into their present day lives.

Shel Silverstein is a popular American cartoonist, singer, songwriter, playwright and author. He is mostly known for his children books including the popular, The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Surprisingly, Shel Silverstein did not always care for children literature. In fact, he criticized the sappy endings of happy children stories. However, he was eventually convinced by a friend to transform stereotypical children’s book and he able to become successful in creating clever and humorous poems and books.

The apple sits on a white plate. The plate has the words ‘For You’ on it. The plate was something I added to the poem. Since the narrator’s enemy knew that the apple belonged to the narrator, the plate shows that the narrator was ready for his enemy to take the apple. The words inscribed on the plate are used to appeal to the enemy to guarantee that he eats the poison. The words are written in black to magnify the toxicity of the narrator’s hatred for their foe. The plate is white to appeal to the enemy. White signifies innocence, purity, and peace. When the enemy sees the plate, they would not guess that it is holding a lethal apple. The grass covers some of the plate up to make the painting more realistic. Grass would naturally get onto the

When I think of a poet, images of scowling, mustached men whose 19th century wardrobe could use an update spring to mind—a somber Edgar Allen Poe type whose ink strokes inquire of unrequited love interests and dreary days alone in the snow. I certainly do not imagine modern, multi-ethnic women who live in the same state as me. However, as soon as I read Natasha Trethewey’s poetry, I immediately admired the way her words so effortlessly danced on the page, my mind’s eye watching the elegant choreography with each syllable read. Moreover, when I learned of her tragic history, and the strength and resilience she possessed to carry on, I could not help but to respect the way she turned pain into beautiful art. The right words carry great power

Both poems portrayed young men whom have been inexperienced and unwilling to take advice and wisdom from others. Joyce Carol Oates also wrote Connie with such

Writer Waiting by Shel Silverstein has a very simple format. It has only 1 stanza, and the whole poem is written in it. The poem overall has 13 lines and most of them have different line lengths. Nearly all of the lines have about 5-10 words. The only punctuation marks Silverstein uses are commas and periods, and 611of them are periods.

In today’s modern view, poetry has become more than just paragraphs that rhyme at the end of each sentence. If the reader has an open mind and the ability to read in between the lines, they discover more than they have bargained for. Some poems might have stories of suffering or abuse, while others contain happy times and great joy. Regardless of what the poems contains, all poems display an expression. That very moment when the writer begins his mental journey with that pen and paper is where all feelings are let out. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem. On the other hand, poems have nothing at all in common with one another. A good example of this is in two poems by a famous writer by

“’ But this is merely a negative definition of the value of education’” (23-24). Mark Halliday wrote “The Value of Education” from a first person standpoint. The introduction and the use of “I” demonstrates the poem is about the speaker. Likewise, the speaker uses imagery, self-recognition, and his own personal thoughts throughout the poem. He goes on throughout the poem stating external confrontations he is not doing because he is in the library receiving an education and reading books. With this in mind, the speaker goes on to convey images in your head to show a realization of things he could be doing if he were not in the library getting an education.

Li-Young Lee is a poet who has written numerous amounts of work. He is a writer of Chinese heritage, but he does not classify himself as an Asian American poet. According to an article titled, “Li-Young Lee,” Li-Young Lee refuses to classify himself as an Asian American writer because he strives to be a “global poet.” This statement demonstrates that Li-Young Lee uses poetry as a means of addressing universal concerns. He writes about experiences or lessons that are personal to him; however, these are experiences and lessons that people all around the world can relate to. Li-Young Lee specifically writes about his childhood memories and family. A particular poem that reflects his personal life and poetic writing is, “The Gift.” In “The Gift,” the use of vivid imagery, free verse, and a distinct tone portrays Li-Young Lee’s poetic style.

Richard Blanco is a Cuban- American poet who was given the oppurunity to write an inaugaration poem for Barack Obama's second swearing-in. He wrote a poem titled "One Today" that praised the good and unique things about the United States and also the everyday people who's daily routines help to make America the proud country that it is.

In the beginning of the school year, it is pivotal for teachers to discover how his or her students learn, specifically how he or she uses his or her prior knowledge to process new information. Therefore, Marian, after reading your post, I realized that you approached Silverstein’s poem from a literary perspective—New Criticism perspective. Nonetheless, from a New critic standpoint, readers solely focus on the poem’s structure for meaning. For example, in your post, you mentioned that while attempting to memorize the poem, you first read the poem for comprehension, as well as focused on analyzing the poem’s rhythm, rhyme scheme, and vocabulary. Thus, allowing you to engage in a maintenance rehearsal: “A cognitive process in which information

The Poem “Introduction to Poetry” is by Billy Collins, an English poet, and it is about how teachers often force students to over-analyze poetry and to try decipher every possible meaning portrayed throughout the poem rather than allowing the students to form their own interpretation of the poem based on their own experiences.

Poetry is a reduced dialect that communicates complex emotions. To comprehend the numerous implications of a ballad, perusers must analyze its words and expressing from the points of view of beat, sound, pictures, clear importance, and suggested meaning. Perusers then need to sort out reactions to the verse into a consistent, point-by-point clarification. Poetry utilizes structures and traditions to propose differential translation to words, or to summon emotive reactions. Gadgets, for example, sound similarity, similar sounding word usage, likeness in sound and cadence are at times used to accomplish musical or incantatory impacts.