literature and life-Shel Silverstein

The Little Boy and the Old Man

1.what is the underlying message that is being conveyed in this poem?
Ans: This poem conveys the message that as adults, people tend to forget that they were once children and that they will one day be old men, hence they make them sad and make them think that the adults do not care about them and that they are ignored.

2.Has Shel Silverstein used any particular poetic technique that brings out this message more clearly?
Ans: A lot of dialogue was used and the Old Man always repeated his answers, giving the impression that he actually emphasizes with the Little Boy.

Messy Room

1. Can you say that the poem is humorous? If so how?
Ans: The poem is humorous as it is exaggerated. The clothes are hung everywhere except the closet, which is instead filled with books, a sock is somehow so sticky that it sticks to the wall, the chair is growing fungus due to the raincoat on it and there is a lizard on the bed. This shows that the room is dirty and messy to the extreme.

2. What aspect of the human character has been highlighted in this poem?
Ans: The fact that people are quick to find others' faults and mistakes but not in finding our own mistakes.

Cloony The Clown

1.Explain the irony in this poem.
Ans: When cloony tries to be funny, nobody laughs. But when he tells everyone about his sorrows and expect them to sympathize with him, everyone laughs .

2.Does Shel Silverstein manage to convey some harsh realities in this poem?
Ans: He conveys the reality that people are sadistic and tend to laugh at the misfortune of others.

3. What poetic devices has the poet used to effectively convey his message?
Ans: He used irony to convey that people are sadistic in nature. Also, assonance was used to highlight how nobody liked cloony and how hard they laughed at cloony.

Which of the above poem can you identify with the most? Write down your thoughts on your blog.

Messy room. I always find the mistakes that other people have done and correct them, only for me to commit the same mistake as them. At other times, I see something not done right, and blame others, but I later find out that I caused it and not others. I constantly try not to make these kind of mistakes, but sometimes it just happens and i embarrass myself. i find that not doing things rashly and thinking before i act helps me avoid these situations