Where The Sidewalk Ends By Shel Silverstein Analysis

Shel Silverstein was an American poet, born in 1930, who wrote the famous poem “Where the Sidewalk Ends.” Although Silverstein mainly composed poems that appeal to children, many of them can be enjoyed by groups of all ages. While some of his poems have simple easy meanings, some have deeper ones intended for a more experienced group of readers. In “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” Shel Silverstein expresses that there is a place where we can relax and take a break from this rushed world's troubles and worries. Before the poem even begins, the title displays a metaphor that must be interpreted. “Some Figurative Language was, Where the sidewalk ends itself because it represents a metaphor for imagination” (Buckley, Sean). Instead of just describing a mental state that is relaxed and carefree, Silverstein uses a metaphor to describe it as an actual place to explore; where the sidewalk ends. “The title of the poem and volume succeeds well in suggesting a place

Silverstein produces this idea when he states “And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know” (14-15). Here, children are drawing arrows with chalk for the adults to follow because the children know how to get to “where the sidewalk ends” as their minds have not been dulled with adulthood. “Silverstein suggests that children have the right point of view about reality, which is unpleasant at best and should be avoided by going to magical imaginative places” (Macdonald 39). Another article also backs this up by stating (Now the relaxed part of the journey comes into play where silverstein says “Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow” (13). Now to ensure that this journey to neverland is not tiring Silverstein allows anyone going to the end of the sidewalk to walk slow and not waste any