Sheldon Allen “Shel” Silverstein was born on 25 September 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. He got his first start in the 1950s when Hugh Hefner hired him to be the resident poet/cartoonist for Playboy magazine. Now, Silverstein is best known for his poetry and children's books; “The Giving Tree” is one of his modern classics.
"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.
Analysis of "Where the Sidewalk Ends"
In Shel Silverstein's 1950 poem, he encourages the reader to have the innocence of a child. For those who may be enduring difficult hardships, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" gives an optimistic interpretation of life. As an antidote to the stress of adulthood, he inspires his readers to allow their inner child to surface.
