“Where the Sidewalk Ends” is probably one of Shel Silverstein’s most well known work. It doesn’t have a distinct rhyme scheme. The last word of the first line of the first two stanzas doesn’t rhyme with any other word in the same stanza. Then the second line roughly rhymes with the last sentence. Lastly three lines in the stanza rhyme one after each other. Aside from the rhyme scheme, this poem uses strong imagery. Silverstein describes nature as a brilliant, wonderful place. On the other hand the city is described as a dark and bleak place. He does a great job of being descriptive enough for the reader to see the big picture, but keeps the description vague enough for the imagination. The meaning of this poem can be seen two ways. First, it can be taken
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It can be seen as how the city gets in the way of happiness, and it is better to live life and enjoy nature. Second, it can be received on a deeper level. The sidewalk represents the path of our mind. On one side, there is the city. Dark, polluted, and the description makes the reader think of a generally horrible place. This represents the part of the mind that holds all of that which makes people depressed, angry, or evil. On the other side, there is the end of the end of the sidewalk, or the end of the worst part in your mind. Lines 3-56describes the scene as “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.” The description doesn’t describe ordinary nature. Actually it describes something super-natural. First, the grass that grows soft and white, instead of normal grass, which is green and crisp. Next, the crimson sun, opposed to yellow or orange. Third, there is the moon-bird. It sounds like some out of world creature. Lastly, the wind is peppermint. All this makes it sound like the setting is on a different planet, but really it is a metaphor for the
It can be seen as how the city gets in the way of happiness, and it is better to live life and enjoy nature. Second, it can be received on a deeper level. The sidewalk represents the path of our mind. On one side, there is the city. Dark, polluted, and the description makes the reader think of a generally horrible place. This represents the part of the mind that holds all of that which makes people depressed, angry, or evil. On the other side, there is the end of the end of the sidewalk, or the end of the worst part in your mind. Lines 3-56describes the scene as “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.” The description doesn’t describe ordinary nature. Actually it describes something super-natural. First, the grass that grows soft and white, instead of normal grass, which is green and crisp. Next, the crimson sun, opposed to yellow or orange. Third, there is the moon-bird. It sounds like some out of world creature. Lastly, the wind is peppermint. All this makes it sound like the setting is on a different planet, but really it is a metaphor for the