Shel Silverstein Worksheet

The Little Boy and the Old Man


1. What is the underlying message that is being conveyed in this poem?


The poem is trying to convey an underlying message that the old man is somehow similar to the little boy in different ways. The little boy is neglected by "grown-ups" just like the old man, which leads me to infer that the old man could have been abandoned by his children who have already grown up. Him "dropping his spoon", "crying", and "wetting his pants" shows how much attention and support he needs just like the little boy.


2. Has Shel Silverstein used any particular poetic technique that brings out this message more clearly?


Yes. He compared the old man with the little in every single small way, like "dropping spoons", "wetting his pants" and "crying". He is trying to show how similar the old man is the little boy. However, in the 2nd last line of them poem, it is the only line without a dialogue. "And he felt... old hand" Shows that the little boy finally expresses what the old man has been thinking about, his heart-felt feelings.


Messy Room


1. Can you say that the poem is humorous? If so how?


Yes. The persona thinks that the room is extremely messy and wasn't his, thus he made fun of the owner of the room that the room is extremely messy and the owner "should be ashamed". However, the humor comes in when he's words turn against him as he finds out that then room is actually is, creating an irony.


2. What aspect of the human character has been highlighted in this poem?


The aspect of the human character highlighted in the poem is that people tend to criticise others, when they themselves are not as good. 


Cloony the Clown


1. Explain the irony in this poem.


Cloony is suppose to make people laugh as a clown. However, he "just wasn't funny at all".  But when he spoke of his "tales of woes", people "laughed until the trees shook". The irony is that what cloony does has an opposite effect of what is suppose to happen.


2. Does Shel Silvertein manage to convey some harsh realities in this poem?


Yes. It is that human tend to aggravate other's just for for their own entertainment. The crowd in this story laughed at Cloony's woes which actually makes Cloony more upset. 


3. What poetic devices has the poet used to effectively convey his message?