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- Shel Silverstein Since no one would post in the literature section, I decided to post it here. Can anyone have an intelligent discussion with me on your thoughts about this poem? I'm thinking it's written for any and every body to relate to it in their own life, because it seems very universal. I've read this poem before in school, which is very idiotic because I was far too young to appreciate it. My thoughts about the poem though, I feel as if it describes a relationship (yes, a lover relationship) that's about to end. The poem is definitely metaphoric. And the children may represent younger memories of when Shel was a teenager? It's an amazing poem to look in to. What I mean by young memories is the mistakes she made as a teenager in love, and because of her growth from them she knows that the relationship is coming to a close. Anyone else have thoughts?
It's actually not homework. I was listening to Silverstein, going through their old music, and the poem is at the end. Their song is about a relationship, so I started to piece together the correlations. http://www.plyrics.com/lyrics/silverstein/foreverandaday.html I'm in a Creative Writing program at an art school. I don't really need help to find out what a poem is about, as I already have my own thoughts about it. Thanks for judging me instead of having a logical conversation though (:
Are you guys really that ignorant? If I wanted to find a "true" meaning behind a poem that is universal and can be taken any way that relates to your own life...there's not even a source for that. If it was for homework, I'd already have an answer.
This is a book right? I think this is more of a poem about death. The sidewalk is life and the end is where it ends. Where the grass and flowers are. But thats my pedophille mind.
:type:the internet is for trolls the internet is for trolls so start to write and cause a fight with trolls trolls trolls
A collection of poems, yeah. I never read any of the other poems in this collection though. I don't know though, it's just how I take it. Which is why universal poetry is the best. Whether or not it's on just one subject, it's written so that it can relate to tons of topics depending on the reader. Actually, Coheed and Cambria is a great example of that in their lyrics. I understand what you're doing. Now that you feel uncomfortable for being wrong about something, you resort to being immature. Oh man, sure got me.
Ah us being interlectual hurts my brain. It would seem I blew a fuse. Bit yes it depends on how we see it, not all minds are alike, occasionaly with twins though..... I want a twin. *offtopicish*
I had actually thought the same at first, but upon rereading it a second time, my thoughts have changed. The "sidewalk" refers to childhood. With each slow step, the children are getting closer and closer to the "road", which is where adulthood begins. Childhood is sweet, beautiful - where the grass grows soft and white, where the sun burns crimson bright, and where the moon-bird rests from his flight. The "road", on the other hand, is dreary. That is adulthood. At least, that is my take on it. I don't usually like poems, but I can recall liking this particular one years ago.
