Where The Sidewalk Ends
Page 1
Madgett
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein is a poem that describes a place that is only enjoyable to children or youth because they are able to use their innocent imagination to fantasize the place beyond "where the sidewalk ends" (L.1) where as an adult may have grown up and lost their imagination in the city "where asphalt flowers grow" (L.9) A theme depicted in this poem is reality because it takes us deep into the land of childhood fantasies, just because we use our imagination to travel to where the sidewalk ends, does not make it any less real. Silverstein uses rhythm and repeats some lines to make sure the reader can fully take in what he is writing. He rhymes line three, four and five when describing the imaginary place to make it the place even more appealing for the reader. In line 13 and 14 Silverstein reuses lines to make a strong final statement describing the journey to the imaginary place beyond the sidewalk. Specific devices Silverstein use in this poem are metaphors such as "asphalt flowers" (L.9) to describe what constitutes as nature in the city he is describing in the second paragraph which shows the only beauty to find in the city is manmade. Another device he uses juxtaposition to contrast between the clean, natural and beautiful place beyond the sidewalk and the city that is dirty, dark and gritty. Also Silverstein uses symbols such as "the chalk-white arrows" (L.14) to symbolize that the only way to get to the place is through embracing a child like view of the world. Silverstein uses two line sentences in each of his first two paragraphs for flow but changes up his pattern in the final paragraph reusing two lines to help add effect. To start each paragraph he uses a capital in the first word to add an effect and grab the reader's attention when
Page 2 reading the poem. He uses pauses throughout the poem so without a capital after a pause then the line would sound dull but the capital adds power and strength to the
Madgett
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein is a poem that describes a place that is only enjoyable to children or youth because they are able to use their innocent imagination to fantasize the place beyond "where the sidewalk ends" (L.1) where as an adult may have grown up and lost their imagination in the city "where asphalt flowers grow" (L.9) A theme depicted in this poem is reality because it takes us deep into the land of childhood fantasies, just because we use our imagination to travel to where the sidewalk ends, does not make it any less real. Silverstein uses rhythm and repeats some lines to make sure the reader can fully take in what he is writing. He rhymes line three, four and five when describing the imaginary place to make it the place even more appealing for the reader. In line 13 and 14 Silverstein reuses lines to make a strong final statement describing the journey to the imaginary place beyond the sidewalk. Specific devices Silverstein use in this poem are metaphors such as "asphalt flowers" (L.9) to describe what constitutes as nature in the city he is describing in the second paragraph which shows the only beauty to find in the city is manmade. Another device he uses juxtaposition to contrast between the clean, natural and beautiful place beyond the sidewalk and the city that is dirty, dark and gritty. Also Silverstein uses symbols such as "the chalk-white arrows" (L.14) to symbolize that the only way to get to the place is through embracing a child like view of the world. Silverstein uses two line sentences in each of his first two paragraphs for flow but changes up his pattern in the final paragraph reusing two lines to help add effect. To start each paragraph he uses a capital in the first word to add an effect and grab the reader's attention when
Page 2 reading the poem. He uses pauses throughout the poem so without a capital after a pause then the line would sound dull but the capital adds power and strength to the