Where The Sidewalk Ends By Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein
“Never explain what you do. It speaks for itself. You only muddle it by talking about it” (Shel Silverstein). Silverstein’s work is meant for children, because they are often humorous and energetic (Poetry Foundation). He also writes books which are sometimes serious and also silly, which are loved by both children and adults (Poets.org). His writings are loved by all, young or old (Poets.org). Shel Silverstein is a very talented author who uses many different types of figurative language in his poems.
The cartoonist, playwright, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning author, Shel Silverstein, was also an amazing poet (Poets.org). He was born on September 25, 1930 in Chicago, and began writing at a young age.

He entered Roosevelt University, but couldn’t finish because he joined the army (Famous People Born Today). Silverstein enlisted in the U.S. army in 1950 and served in Korea and Japan (Biography.com). He then published many works, for example, “The Lion Who Shot Back”, “The Giving Tree”, and “A Giraffe and a Half” (Poets.org). “The Giving Tree” was initially rejected by publishers because it was very sad and they thought it had a double meaning (Biography.com). Shel Silverstein died of a heart attack in Key West, Florida, in May 10, 1999.
In the poem “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, Shel Silverstein uses symbolism and alliterations to show the stretches of imagination and enhance the meaning of the poem (Shmoop Editorial Team).

The theme of the this poem is traveling the world of nature, even if it is just in your imagination. One example of figurative language in this poem is the metaphor in stanza one, verse one, where it says, “There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the streets begin” (Where the Sidewalk Ends). This could mean a literal town with sidewalks and suburbs and the sidewalk stops at the end of the town. But, it actually represents a metaphor of our imagination and the power of our minds to escape to our own world (Shmoop Editorial Team). Another example of figurative language in “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, are the alliterations (enotes.com). Some examples of these are in lines three, seven, and ten, they say, “there the grass grows”, “past the pits”, and “walk with a walk” (Where the Sidewalk Ends). This use of sound intensifies the sentences in the poem. It also is certain to enhance the meaning for the poem, especially for people who read it out loud (enotes.com). In conclusion, Shel silverstein uses many metaphors and alliterations to show imagination and intensify his poem, “Where the Sidewalk

Ends”.
Shel Silverstein’s life and work is made memorable by great poems and many different types of figurative language. For example, he wrote “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, which is loved by children. Is this poem, Silverstein used symbolisms and alliterations to represent and enhance the meaning of the poem. In conclusion Shel Silverstein, uses figurative language to show the stretches of imagination in his poem, “Where the Sidewalk Ends”.