Where The Sidewalk Ends Analysis
Bersche 1
Ethan Bersche
Mr. Wright
ENG4U
March 20, 2015
Where does the Sidewalk End?
An Analysis of Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
People are drawn to poetry because it uses words to express emotions that most people can only feel. The greatest poems tell stories that readers wish to be true. They open doors to worlds of which readers desire to be a part. Most North-American homes are blessed with one of Shel Silverstein's award winning poetry books. His poem Where the Sidewalk Ends is arguably the best poem of all time. In just three short but powerful stanzas, Silverstein is able to create that longing in readers that makes poems great. He accomplishes this through his masterful use of sound and sense, form, and symbolism and imagery and creates a world in which readers cannot help but long to be a part of.
The thing that separates a good poem from a regular paragraph is how it sounds. In
Where the Sidewalk Ends Silverstein enhances the poem using sound devices. He uses a unique rhyme scheme to create a sing-song rhythm in his words. A perfect ABCCCB rhyming scheme is followed in this poem which is unusual in most poetic forms. However, it ties the stanzas together smoothly and helps create a whimsical effect that adds to the readers longing for a care free, “sing-song”, childhood imagination. Silverstein also uses repetition compellingly.
Repetition is used to emphasize specific pieces from the text, making it clear that the author wants these parts to stay with the reader. Silverstein repeats the title “the place where the
Bersche 2 sidewalk ends” in every stanza, as if to constantly fill the readers mind with these words. This place where the sidewalk ends is the magical place that Silverstein is creating, and evokes the reader’s longing to discover it in real life. Finally, alliteration is used very effectively in this poem.
Alliterations are used to emphasize specific portions of a text. Two of the most obvious alliterations in this poem
Ethan Bersche
Mr. Wright
ENG4U
March 20, 2015
Where does the Sidewalk End?
An Analysis of Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
People are drawn to poetry because it uses words to express emotions that most people can only feel. The greatest poems tell stories that readers wish to be true. They open doors to worlds of which readers desire to be a part. Most North-American homes are blessed with one of Shel Silverstein's award winning poetry books. His poem Where the Sidewalk Ends is arguably the best poem of all time. In just three short but powerful stanzas, Silverstein is able to create that longing in readers that makes poems great. He accomplishes this through his masterful use of sound and sense, form, and symbolism and imagery and creates a world in which readers cannot help but long to be a part of.
The thing that separates a good poem from a regular paragraph is how it sounds. In
Where the Sidewalk Ends Silverstein enhances the poem using sound devices. He uses a unique rhyme scheme to create a sing-song rhythm in his words. A perfect ABCCCB rhyming scheme is followed in this poem which is unusual in most poetic forms. However, it ties the stanzas together smoothly and helps create a whimsical effect that adds to the readers longing for a care free, “sing-song”, childhood imagination. Silverstein also uses repetition compellingly.
Repetition is used to emphasize specific pieces from the text, making it clear that the author wants these parts to stay with the reader. Silverstein repeats the title “the place where the
Bersche 2 sidewalk ends” in every stanza, as if to constantly fill the readers mind with these words. This place where the sidewalk ends is the magical place that Silverstein is creating, and evokes the reader’s longing to discover it in real life. Finally, alliteration is used very effectively in this poem.
Alliterations are used to emphasize specific portions of a text. Two of the most obvious alliterations in this poem