What Is The Mood Of The Poem Where The Sidewalk End

“Where The Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein is a poem that I have read quite a few times. I have always enjoyed Silverstein’s poems, but I never really took the time to understand them. “Where The Sidewalk Ends” has a very deep meaning compared to what the words are literally saying. If someone were to read the poem for the first time, it would sound like the main idea is precisely about the end of a sidewalk. In reality, the poem is about the transition between childhood and adulthood. The poem starts out by describing a sidewalk. It is the place that people want to go because of how safe and pleasing it is. “This is a place where the sidewalk ends and before the street begins,” is the beginning of the poem. The sidewalk represents childhood.

It uses darker illustrative words compared to the first few lines of the poem. “Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black and the dark street winds and bends,” gives off an entirely different mood than the glee of the sidewalk. Being on the road is not as safe and more harm could occur. It takes more responsibility to handle the road, which is why it represents adulthood. Not all adults are happy with the big step from the sidewalk to the road, but the transition happens to everyone. The last stanza talks about the real transition. Kids already know what to expect. They already know that they will have to come to the end of the sidewalk at one point, so they take their time while walking down the safe path. If adults could walk down the sidewalk again, they would take the opportunity and they would walk slower. The end of the sidewalk is the place where children don’t want to go. It is the end of the happy, carefree days. The brutal truth is that everyone has to come to the end of the sidewalk at some time in their life. So the best thing for kids to do is walk slowly and not take the safety for granted. The road may seem exciting, but there are more responsibilities and there is more