Analysis Of Whatif By Shel Silverstein

David Tice

30 November 2015

ENG 1123

Mrs. Gambill

Literary Analysis – “Whatif”

“Whatif” is a poem by Shel Silverstein. Shel Silverstein is a songwriter, poet, and author who was born on September 25th in 1930 (bio.com). He is most known for his poetry including his widely accredited work, The Giving Tree. He also wrote songs for Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn, including Cash’s song “A Boy Named Sue” and Lynn’s song “One’s on the Way” (bio.com) Poets can be notorious on writing one thing and meaning another, or meaning something literally. Questions usually get asked as to why the writer said that certain thing or described something a certain way or put a punctuation mark where it’s not needed. “Whatif” is a very interesting

piece of art that could be deciphered by different people and could mean something different to everyone. The setting, the mood, and the delivery of words can be deciphered on a literal and figurative level.
Written in typical AABB style, the main body of “Whatif” repeats the title in each line. The poem consists of twenty-six lines. “Last night, while I lay thinking here,/some Whatifs crawled inside my ear” (Silverstein, 1-2) first introduces our setting. The setting is what can be assumed as the bedroom of a young child at night as they are lying in bed contemplating what is going on in their life and the worries they face on a daily basis. A young person is pictured lying in bed at night, staring at their ceiling with all of these thoughts going off in their mind about what could go wrong in their life.
The mood stays the same almost the whole poem. But at the very end, the poet uses an exclamation mark it seems to imply that the speaker is exasperated with their mind and thoughts. “Everything seems well, and then/the nighttime Whatifs strike again!” (Silverstein, 25-26) The mood is very gloom and pessimistic, while somehow relating to the reading and not seeming all that depressing.
A very important line in the poem is “and pranced and partied all night long/and sang their same old Whatif song:” (Silverstein, 3-4) The usage of the colon gets us ready to read the long list of the worries that the speaker faces on a daily basis. This can also show that even at a young age, children still worry and have fears and doubts just like adults do and that the list of things they stress over can be just as overwhelming to them as it is to adults.
The main lines of the poem could be described as the body, or lines five through twenty-four.

These lines all start out with the same word, “Whatif”. These lines are interesting because it gives a small look into the mind of Shel Silverstein. “Whatif I'm dumb in school?/Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?/Whatif I get beat up?/Whatif there's poison in my cup?” (Silverstein, 5-8) These lines could be interpreted rather easily as they are straight to the point. It seems as though the speaker is a child is young and worried about childlike things such as school, bullies, and the swimming pool in the summer. It also seems like the speaker is even pessimistic enough to be worried about being poisoned. “Whatif I start to cry?/Whatif I get sick and die?/Whatif I flunk that test?/Whatif green hair grows on my chest?” (Silverstein, 9-12) These lines make the speaker sound a little bit older, as in a teenager who is really worried about serious things in life like dying or tests or physical appearances or crying like a child. “Whatif nobody likes me?/Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?/Whatif I don't grow taller?/Whatif my head starts getting smaller?” (Silverstein, 13-16) Again it sounds like this is an older child who is worried about physical appearances and the more serious matter in life. “Whatif the fish won't bite?/Whatif the wind tears up my kite?/Whatif they start a war?/Whatif my parents get divorced?” (Silverstein, 17-20) These lines are kind of confusing, because

it starts out as the speaker asking questions relative to a child then finish these lines with questions of someone older. “Whatif the bus is late?/Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?/Whatif I tear my pants?/Whatif I never learn to dance?” (Silverstein, 21-24) These lines are also interesting because they could be interpreted as questions from a child, a teenager, or even an adult.
“Whatif” is an interesting poem. It is not very long and uses very simple wording. But one of the most beautiful things is that as simple as it is, “Whatif” is definitely a poem everyone could relate to on one level or another. Maybe these are actually worries for one person while for another person it may be a way to help them voice their worries and fears and confront them. While the mood is almost cheerful and depressing at the same time, it stays constant throughout the poem. Shel Silverstein is a very talented poet, songwriter, and author who continues to amaze people everywhere with his talents and words.

Works Cited

Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 4 May 2015.
Silverstein, Shel. "Whatif by Shel Silverstein." - Famous Poems, Famous Poets. Web. 4 May 2015.