Shel Silverstein is best known as an author of children’s poetry. Before his death in 1999, he had established himself as both a songwriter and an author for readers of all ages. Read more about Shel Silverstein.
‘Show It At the Beach’ by Shel Silverstein addresses taboos in contemporary society. Specifically, the poem considers when nudity is appropriate and when it isn’t (on the beach).
Oh, they won't let us show it at the beach.
No, they won't let us show it at the beach.
They think we're gonna grab it if it gets within our reach.
And they won't let us show it at the beach.
‘Dirty Face’ by Shel Silverstein is a sixteen line poem that is divided up into one couplet and one set
‘Hug O’ War’ was published in 1974 in Silverstein’s collection Where the Sidewalk Ends. The poem is characteristic of Silverstein’s poetry
‘Listen to the MUSTN’TS’ by Shel Silverstein is a short eight-line poem that is contained within one block of text.
‘Messy Room’ by Shel Silverstein is a humorous poem. It uses amusing imagery and a constant rhyme scheme in order to get a simple message across.
In ‘Needles and Pins’ Silverstein explores themes of adventure and escapism. Through language that is easy to understand and rhymes
Within ‘Sick’ Shel Silverstein crafts a humorous story of one child’s attempts to stay home from school. The poem explores the themes of deceit, obligations, and joy.
‘Skin Stealer’ by Shel Silverstein is a twenty-three line poem that is contained within one block of text. The lines
‘Snowball’ is an amusing poem. In it, Shel Silverstein describes a young boy’s attempt to keep a snowball in his room.
In ‘The Bridge’ Silverstein explores themes of magic, imagination, and storytelling. The latter is seen through the speaker who is
‘Whatif’ by Shel Silverstein is a playful presentation of fears, struggles, and uncertainties that haunt Silverstein at “night“.
‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’ by Shel Silverstein speaks on the important theme of growing up. The poet discusses the differences between the adult world and the mind of a child.