Post #5 Poetry

Title: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Author: Shel Silverstein 

ISBN-10: 0060572345

Where the Sidewalk Ends  

There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends.

Shel Silverstein 

 

For this week's blog post, I decided to choose Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.  The book Where the Sidewalk Ends the poems and drawings of Shel Silverstein is the first in the collection of children's poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein, first published in 1974.  Shel Silverstein was an American poet, songwriter, cartoonist, etc. whose work includes A Giraffe and a Half, The Missing Piece, A Light in the Attic, The Giving Tree, Falling Up, Runny Babbit, and many many more!  I have enjoyed Shel Silverstein's poetry since I was a child, I remember begging my parents to buy me A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends from one of those school book fairs.  

The poem, Where the Sidewalk Ends has had many different interpretations and/or applications in classrooms.  The way I interpret the poem, is that the way to look at life is through the eyes of children.  Children listen to they're heart, they follow it, they don't make things more complicated than they need to be the way adults do, they face challenges and goals head on, they know what they want and how to find it.  

Shel Silverstein's poems are funny, entertaining, and inspirational.  Silverstein's poems grab the reader and bring them in with an "Invitation" at the beginning of the book.  The "Invitation" is catchy and wonderful... 

If you are a dreamer, come in. 

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, 

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer . . . 

If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, 

For we have some flax golden tales to spin. 

Come in! 

Come in!

When told that we would be posting about poetry, my first thought was of Shel Silverstein.  Silverstein's poetry uses his vivid imagination to connect with his audience.  Poetry is a form of expression, it allows the writer to express their feelings through a selection of words.  The words are often selected because of the rhythm and effects that they have when written together.  Poetry is often used to evoke feelings from the reader/listener.  Many poems require the audience to find meaning in what they are reading/hearing. Silverstein's poems are often accompanied by his black and white drawings.  The pictures sometimes help the audience to understand or relate to what is happening in the poem.  

Where the Sidewalks Ends can be extremely beneficial for teaching students about poetry.  The book is chock full of wonderful examples for students to study.  The poems that Silverstein writes vary from topic, size, illustrations,style, format, etc..  Many of these topics can assist the teacher is making connections for the students to relate to.  Students will be able to see that poetry can be creative and inspirational, and hopefully you will all see this too and run to your local library to check it out!!  Enjoy!