Exploring Poetry is Fun!
Poetry can be such fun to both read and write!
Read this poem by the famous poet, Shel Silverstein . Then write your entry about what you think he is trying to say in his poem. Comment on his use of language. Do the words help you to visualize? What pictures do you see in your mind? Is there anything you don’t understand? Remember to read everyone else’s comments too. Respond to others by commenting on their entries or answering their questions. What do you like about poetry? Share your thoughts about this new unit of study.
Let’s have fun!
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
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.
14 Responses to “Exploring Poetry is Fun!”
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I love this poem by Shel Silverstein! I think he is telling us to come and enjoy reading poetry.
I think “where the sidewalk ends” is the place where we begin to have fun reading poetry and where we try writing our own poetry too. I think that he is challenging us to come with him on a poetry journey.
I’m wondering what “asphalt flowers” are. Does anyone have any ideas about that?
I love Shel Silverstein too Mrs.M!!!
This poetry reminds me of Korea because Korean sidewalks are really long and clean.
Anyway, I think asphalt flowers are those flowers grow beside the sidewalk. I feel happy because in my mental, there`s many people old and young marching on the sidewalk.
I don`t understand the part where it said “And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go”
He uses simple words for the poem. His words make me visualize. I can picture the street, bird, chalk-white arrow, and flowers. I don’t understand the second paragraph. I don’t like this poem that much becuase this poem is not fun because it tells only about the sidewalk.
I like this poem, because Shel Silverstein use easy but clear words that discribe the image that appear at the poem. Sometimes poets use very hard word, which makes reader hard to understand.
I think this poem have emotion, too. But not so strong.
But anyways, I like this poem because of the imagery that Shel Silverstein show us!
Oh! And I think ‘asphalt flowers’ are those plants that you could sometimes see in asphalt sidewalk. And they grow through the gap of the asphalt sidewalk.
I like Shel Silverstein`s poems because his poems hook the readers mind. I had places that were hard for me to know what Shel Silverstein was writing about, but when i was reading a couple of times, I got what the aothuor was talking about. I think poem is hard to understand.
I understand what you mean Wit about the 2nd stanza. And I think it is a little bit hard to understand, like Hiro says too. I think in that stanza Shel Silverstein is saying that while reading poetry we can forget about our problems:
(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)
and immerse ourselves, jump into, fun poems that make us laugh, or sad ones that make us cry, or thoughtful ones that make us think and want to share our thoughts with others. What do you all think?
I like shel silverstein because he use some funny words and also strange words such as chalk-white arrows go. And I think that he is useing some words that gives the emotions to the readers.
And also when I read that poem I could picture the street,some birds and the flowers.
I think she tries to say there is always another rode after the side walk ends, like when we die we might beging our life againg. Her poem sure is confusing thas why it might confuse people. I just wonder what the chalk-white arrows are. Any ideas?
Shel Silverstein’s poem…
I think that he uses he’s connections and good description of Sidewalk. And I also didn’t get the ‘And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go.” Everything is good but some of sentence is funny and strange like first stanza of this poem.(I think funny and strange words made bu his connection and description.)
Shel Silverstein is a funny and strange poet!
I think this book is really famous because when I watched The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy today, there was a person that went to the place where the sidewalk ends and there was a same exact dog like in the picture only it has some colors.
Aren’t colors are spelled colours?
I didn’t really understand this poem but I understant his way of writing poems because he uses easy word to tell the poem. Also I can visualize the where side walk ends. I couldn’t understand the last part…