Shel Silverstein poems

The Little Boy and the Old Man by Shel Silverstein


Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.

1)What is the underlying message that is being conveyed in this poem?
The underlying message is that both old people and children have many interesting similarities, especially not receiving attentions, being neglected and forgotten by adults.

2)Has Shel Silverstain used any particular poetic technique that brings out this message more clearly?
Shel Silverstain used a conversation to bring out the irony that both people with such a huge age gap have so many similarities.

Messy Room by Shel Silverstein



Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!


1)Can you say that the poem is humorous? If so how?
Yes, the speaker in th poem criticizes the owner of the room for not tidying it up when the room is actually his. irony is being used in the poem. All the different descriptions of the room make it more interesting and amusing.
 
2)What aspect of the human character has been highlighted in this poem?
From the poem, we can see that humans tend to blame others before blaming themselves.
 
Cloony The Clown by Shel Silverstein


I'll tell you the story of Cloony the Clown
Who worked in a circus that came through town.
His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,
But he just wasn't, just wasn't funny at all.
He had a trombone to play loud silly tunes,
He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.
He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and tall,
But he just wasn't, just wasn't funny at all.
And every time he did a trick,
Everyone felt a little sick.
And every time he told a joke,
Folks sighed as if their hearts were broke.
And every time he lost a shoe,
Everyone looked awfully blue.
And every time he stood on his head,
Everyone screamed, "Go back to bed!"
And every time he made a leap,
Everybody fell asleep.
And every time he ate his tie,
Everyone began to cry.
And Cloony could not make any money
Simply because he was not funny.
One day he said, "I'll tell this town
How it feels to be an unfunny clown."
And he told them all why he looked so sad,
And he told them all why he felt so bad.
He told of Pain and Rain and Cold,
He told of Darkness in his soul,
And after he finished his tale of woe,
Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no,They laughed until they shook the trees
With "Hah-Hah-Hahs" and "Hee-Hee-Hees."
They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,
They laughed all day, they laughed all week,
They laughed until they had a fit,
They laughed until their jackets split.
The laughter spread for miles around
To every city, every town,
Over mountains, 'cross the sea,
From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.
And soon the whole world rang with laughter,
Lasting till forever after,
While Cloony stood in the circus tent,
With his head drooped low and his shoulders bent.
And he said,"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT -
I'M FUNNY JUST BY ACCIDENT."
And while the world laughed outside.
Cloony the Clown sat down and cried.

1)Expain the irony in this poem.
When Cloony did tricks and other things to make people laugh, no one was amused and no one laughed. However, when Cloony apoke of his woes, everyone began laughing while he cried. 

2)Does Shel Silverstein manage to convey some harsh realities in this poem?
Shel Silverstein managed to show how unsympathetic people are and not caring for the feelings if others.

3)What poetic devices has the poet used to effectively convey his message?
He used onomatopoeia, similes and various types of descriptions to show the feelings clearer. Irony was also used.