Poems by Shel Silverstein

I am going to share with you three poems that I have just learnt. The first poem is the "little boy and the old man". This poem describes about the similarities between the little boy and the old man. They had similar habits and the exact same character. They were clumsy and had no control over their bodies. This poem also describes how the old man and the little boy are neglected by the adults. They were not paid any attention by the grown-ups. The underlying message conveyed in this poem is that the adults neglected their past and the future. They totally did not pay any attention to what they will be like in the past and in the future. Shel Silverstein used a particular poetic technique. He used the little boy's conversation with the old man to bring out the comparison and similarities between the little boy and the old man.

The second poem is the messy room. This poem describes a room that is horribly messy and terrible. But at last, the author was quick to point his finger and push the blame to someone else. He did not take full responsibility of his own room. The poem is very humorous as the poet describes the room in a tongue in cheek humour. For example, the poem is extremely exaggerating in some parts: the underwear was hanging on the lamp, the workbook is wedged in the window, and all of his belongings were in the wrong place. I have also learnt that people are quick to blame others while not taking responsibility. They also do not take care of their own belongings and leave them lying around.

The third poem is about Cloony the clown. There are four parts to be explained in this poem. The first part is that Cloony was unable to make anyone laugh. He had no potential and is not fit to be a clown at all. After all, clowns are supposed to make people laugh. The second part is when Cloony realised that he cannot make anyone laugh, he felt sad and unhappy. The third part is about Cloony telling the audience of his sad tale. However, instead of sympathy, they laugh at his truth. The conclusion is that Cloony was unable to make people laugh but when he was sad, the world laughed. He achieved what he wants after he told them his woes. The irony was Cloony wanted sympathy from the audience but instead they laughed at his tale. The poet managed to convey some harsh realities. It is difficult to tell others the truth and they make them understand but easy to believe the lives they portrait. The poet uses several poet devices such as rhyming patterns and ironies to effectively convey his message.

The poem that I can identify with the most is the little boy and the old man. It is very disheartening to see children often neglected by their parents. Everyone needs attention including the old and the young.