Where the Sidewalk Ends The Guide to a Magical World

Shel Silverstein is an admirable poet, singer-songwriter, musician, cartoonist, and

screenwriter widely known for disguising serious ideas with doses of delight. Silverstein once
stated, Draw a crazy picture, write a nutty poem, sing a mumble-gumble song, and whistle
through your comb. Do a loony-goony dance, cross the kitchen floor, put something silly in the
world that aint been there before (Silverstein). This single quote summarizes everything
Silverstein believed in, not only about literature, but also about life. Shel Silverstein wrote a
poem titled Where the Sidewalk Ends, which takes you on a journey from a dense and dirty
city to a magical world with unimaginable marvels (Where the Sidewalk Ends). Where the
Sidewalk Ends, published in 1974 as a part of a poetry collection with an identical title, was one
of the best-selling hardcovers of all time (Where the Sidewalk Ends written by Shel
Silverstein). The poem incorporates a wide variety of literary devices including a rhyme
scheme, repetition, alliteration, personification, imagery, and symbolism to display maximum
stretches of the imagination.
Where the Sidewalk Ends bestows a reminder that there is a world beyond the sidewalk
that is waiting to be explored. Silverstein was born with the name Sheldon Allan Silverstein
(Shel Silverstein). He was born an American on September 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois to
Nathan and Helen Silverstein (Shel Silverstein Biography). After graduating from Roosevelt
High School in 1948, Silverstein enlisted into the United States Army, serving in Korea and
Japan (Shel Silverstein). While in the military, Shel Silverstein began his cartoon career for a
military publication called Pacific Stars and Stripes (Ung). However, his cartoons and journals
in Playboy magazine is what began garnering national recognition (Shel Silverstein). In the
year 1963, Silverstein met a book editor, Ursula Nordstrom, who convinced him to write material

for children (Shel Silverstein). Ironically, an editor named William Cole rejected one of
Silversteins famous books, The Giving Tree, just a few years prior (Ung). Cole claimed that it
would never sell because the themes lingered somewhere between those meant for adults and
those meant for children (Ung). Silverstein was trying to give children a look at the real world
without sugar-coating it. He married a woman named Susan Hastings, and had a daughter,
Shoshanna, in 1970 (Shel Silverstein Biography). Hastings died five years later in Baltimore
Maryland, and Shoshanna passes away from a cerebral aneurysm at the age of eleven (Shel
Silverstein Biography). Although Silverstein never married again, he had a son named Matthew
with Sarah Spencer in the year 1983 (Shel Silverstein Biography). He died from a heart attack
in Key West, Florida in 1999 (Ung). Silverstein was acclaimed in a variety of musical circles, but
his writing for children is what set him apart from others (Shel Silverstein Biography).
Silverstein began writing at the age of twelve (Ung). He had no athletic ability, nor did girls
show an attraction to him (Ung). I believe that this is what sparked Silversteins interest in
writing. Because he was not familiar with the style of any poets and did not have anyone to
mimic, Silverstein developed his own poetic technique (Ung). Where the Sidewalk Ends talks
about how the sidewalk ends in an amazing place instead of in a dark and shady corner. As a
child, Silverstein probably felt alone, but he decided to think about a marvelous land full of
delights. By the time Silversteins classmates started showing an interest in him, he decided that
work was more significant (Ung). The poem is a reflection of Silversteins childhood. The
message of Where the Sidewalk Ends is that we need to leave our past behind and move
forward into the future. (Where the Sidewalk Ends written by Shel Silverstein).
Shel Silverstein was a genius at playing with sounds, which is perhaps why his poems are
so well liked and unforgettable. Unfortunately, the poem doesnt give a single detail about the

speaker. By reading in-between the lines, we can summon some guesses about the narrator
(Where the Sidewalk Ends). The speaker may be a parent, a teacher, or even a kid. However,
we are aware that the rhyme scheme consists of stanza 1: abcccd, stanza 2: abcccd, and stanza 3:
aaab (Yushido et al). Rhyme schemes create flowing ideas; they make literary works pleasurable
to read. Along with using a rhyme scheme, Silverstein uses rhythmic dimeter, which is a verse or
line of two measures (Yushido et al). Rhyme schemes and repetition go hand in hand because
they are both patterned features in poetry, especially used in Where the Sidewalk Ends.
Silverstein uses repetition to highlight certain words and verses that have an important meaning
to the overall message of the poem. The author repeatedly states, Well walk with a walk that is
measured and slow/ And well go where the chalk-white arrows go/ The place where the
sidewalk ends (Where the Sidewalk Ends > Shel Silverstein). These words are repeated so
that they stand out to the reader. The verse is trying to explain that we are following in the step of
children to a better place beyond the sidewalk. And there is also mentioned on multiple
occasions, using anaphora, the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of lines, to add
emphasis (Where the Sidewalk Ends). Noting the repetition of the word children shows that
young people are the real experts when it comes to escaping the paved world (Where the
Sidewalk Ends). Silverstein cleverly uses rhyme scheme and repetition to help portray his ideas.
Shel Silverstein mixes memorable thoughts and images with sounds that stick in your
mind. Reading the poem aloud helps the audience notice that the alliteration adds a sense of fun
and contributes to whimsical verses. Alliteration is the occurrence of the same letters or sounds
that are placed closely together. At least six alliteration examples are included in Where the
Sidewalk Ends. One alliteration example is hidden in line three pointing out the g in grass
grows (Yushido et al). Another instance is the p in line nine, past the pits (Yushido et al).

The most obvious case in lines ten and thirteen is the w in we shall walk with a walk
(Where the Sidewalk Ends). Alliteration is extremely abundant as the poem bounces from
sound to sound. Another way to stimulate the imagination of the audience is by using
personification. Silverstein exhibits numerous samples of personification, giving inanimate
objects human abilities, to make objects more realistic and notable. Personification is applied to
lines seven and eight where smoke blows black and the dark street winds and bends (Where
the Sidewalk Ends > Shel Silverstein). Giving smoke the ability to blow a color makes the
smoke seem harsher than it is in reality. Claiming that a street bends and winds is a method of
saying a street has many turns and curves. Although the poem has a deep internal meaning, it
was written to amuse and entertain readers.
The tone and theme of Where the Sidewalk Ends both focus on patience and obedience
because we must wait for our future to fall into place (Yushido et al). Imagery is one of the main
literary devices used in the poem to contrast a corrupted city to a mystical setting. First, there is
the land where the sidewalk ends. We have the choice to take the boring route or launch into a
fantasy land that only exists in our imaginations (Where the Sidewalk Ends). Silversteins
usage of imagery takes the poem to a whole new level. When the author writes about white grass
and a crimson sun, you can actually sense the setting (Where the Sidewalk Ends). Imagery is
also used at the time when smoke blows black, and asphalt flowers grow are mentioned
(Where the Sidewalk Ends > Shel Silverstein). At this point, you can imagine a polluted city
with warped flowers. Imagery and symbolism allow a reader to comprehend a deliberate
interpretation more personally and distinctly. Imagery permits the audience to compare a nice
field to a defiled land, while symbolism assists a reader to understand that the end of the
sidewalk represents the strength of creativity that help us escape the troubles of everyday life

(Where the Sidewalk Ends). Silverstein applies symbols to make the meaning of the poem
more comprehensible in truly conveying the message. The selection of the word street is
notable because although there may be roads where the sidewalk ends, there definitely arent any
busy, city streets (Where the Sidewalk Ends). In my perspective, the dark and windy city
symbolizes the rough patches in life. In the supernatural world, the sun seems to stay in a
constant glow, making life abundant (Where the Sidewalk Ends). We also realize that rules
cant penetrate our imaginations with the mention of moon-birds and peppermint wind (Where
the Sidewalk Ends). The writer indicates that the only way out of the grim town is to follow
chalk-white arrows drawn by children on the sidewalk (Where the Sidewalk Ends). It is
children who dream up mystical ideas, therefore it is children who uncover the place where the
sidewalk ends. Shel Silversteins vivid words make his vision clearer, which enables the
audience to grasp the concepts.
Shel Silverstein uses many poetic elements that exercise our creativity and escort us into
miraculous environments. Following the chalk-white arrows to an unknown world requires a
person to be brave and bold. Once that leap of faith is taken, you will be rewarded with new
discoveries, and find yourself in an unbounded world. If you find yourself bored, struggling, or
feeling like there is a missing piece in your life, let Where the Sidewalk Ends take you back to
a better time. Luckily, if we pay attention to the simple signs left by the child inside each one of
us, we will have the ability to access the place where the sidewalk ends. We dont have to travel
to another city, or even leave the comfort of our house, because the region where the sidewalk
ends is in the center of our minds.

Works Cited
Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends. Humanities on the Internet. Meghan Ung,
December 9, 2002. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://faculty.weber.edu/chansen/humanweb/projects/MeghanUng/biography.htm>
Ung, Meghan. Biography. Humanities on the Internet. n.p., December 9, 2002. Web. 8 Feb.
2015.

<http://faculty.weber.edu/chansen/humanweb/projects/MeghanUng/wherethesidewalkend
s.htm>
Shel Silverstein. Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.biography.com/people/shel-silverstein-9483912>
Shel Silverstein Biography. The Famous People. n.p., n.d.. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/shel-silverstein-129.php>
Yushido, Siswo, Gafur, Yusuf and Murtado. Rhyme Verse Poem: Where the Sidewalk Ends.
Sparkling Teaching. Blogger, May 26, 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
<http://sparklingteaching.blogspot.com/2011/05/rhyme-verse-poem-where-the-sidewalkends.html>
Where the Sidewalk Ends written by Shel Silverstein. Dancanhoto. Wordpress, October 14,
2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2015 <https://dancanhoto.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/where-thesidewalk-ends-by-shel-silverstein/>
Where the Sidewalk Ends. Shmoop. Shmoop University Inc., November 11, 2008. Web. 11
Feb. 2015. <http://www.shmoop.com/where-the-sidewalk-ends/>
Where the Sidewalk Ends > Shel Silverstein. Marshaunastar. Wordpress, February 23, 2002.
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