Where the Sidewalk Ends
By: Shel Silverstein
Poetry

            This short poem is set in two different settings. The First being the place where the sidewalk ends; it’s a beautiful place that is beyond our imagination. And the second place is the complete opposite; a place filled with smoke and nastiness. Where the sidewalk ends is described as a place where children are able to go and thrive, where as adults are stuck in a dull and smoke filled world.
            It’s odd that this is a children’s poem, because the meaning almost seems to be pointed towards adults. Telling adults that they need more of a child’s mindset. Where the sidewalk ends can only be reached through imagination, and Shel Silverstein makes this a place where adults often can not reach.


I absolutely love this poem because it is so true! Adults are often so negative in the world they live in where nothing exciting happens. I would love to use this in my classroom to teach students about poetry. The picture I used for this book is actually the collection of poems by Shel Silverstein which is wonderful. It introduces you to many characters with many different poems.

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