Shel's Splendid Stanza-Sagas

 Shel's Splendid Stanza Sagas

If you have never read any of Shel Silverstein's children's poems, stop what you are doing right now and read a few here. This week, I delved into one of Silverstein's anthologies in search of some common traits in his poems-- the characteristics that make them the brilliant, upside-down jokes they are. 

Regardless which Silverstein poem you read, chances are that it will offer some new perspective on a commonplace occurrence. He warps these common things into new, interesting tales, which makes his work interesting and hysterical to read. I am here to point out and comment on some of his more common twists. 

One of the strategies that Silverstein uses often is assigning a literal meaning to an English expression or phrase. For example, one of his poems, "Little Hoarse," follows the story of a man who tells some children that he is "a little hoarse." The children, of course, believe he means that he is an animal for them to ride around town. In another example, "The Nap Taker," a young child is sent to court over taking a nap that did not belong to them. One of my favorites, "Everything on it," tells the sad tale of a person who orders a hot dog with everything on it. In addition to the traditional tomatoes and condiments, the hot dog arrives with things like a bee, a wristwatch, and a fiddle. These poems are unerringly amusing because they poke fun at words and phrases that English speakers just use thoughtlessly every day. Examining these phrases through Silverstein's poems forces readers to realize how ridiculous they are. I am now going to make a pathetic grab at "deeper meanings" to these poems. Ahem. Perhaps they could inspire empathy for people attempting to navigate an unfamiliar language by illuminating the absurdity of the English language. Or perhaps they could be cautioning readers to take care in communications, to avoid the risk of bee-ridden hot dogs. 

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I also enjoy the poems that rely on illustrations to reveal a secondary plot. The narration seems to indicate a perfectly normal activity until the reader notices the accompanying image. They then realize the poem is relating a completely different event. For example, one poem, "Three O'clock," seems at first to be observations from a newly hired bell ringer. Upon examining the illustration co-occupying the page, the reader understands the narrator's woes: the bell-ringer does not pull the rope, but instead acts as the clapper of the bell. In "Why is it," the narrator laments the suddenly odd fit of their clothing. The illustration reveals that this is the case for the narrator not because its just one of those days, but because they have donned every article of clothing improperly. Perhaps one of the best examples is "The Runners/" What appears at first to be a lovely verse a track team wrote as a tribute to their coach quickly turns into a horror story. 

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Silverstein also occasionally continues illustrations from one poem onto the page of another poem. For example, in his anthology Falling Up, he tells of "Allison Beels are her 25 eels," one of which earned a new job as a power cord on a previous page. This explains questions that arise as someone examines the eel cord page. If a reader was to look at that page, they might dismiss the shape of the cord as the artist's style, or they might just be confused. In this way, the reader is rewarded for pushing forward and binge-reading the whole book. Another example from the same anthology is "Hi-Monster." It begins with a brief poem about an abominable creature, represented in the illustration as only a broad, dragging, reptilian tail. On the following page, the reader sees the rest of this reportedly terrifying monster. It is underwhelming. But at the same time, the poem suggests caution at first judgements-- things are not always as they seem. 

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While many of Silverstein's poems are purely ridiculous, a fair few can also be mined for morals for the impressionable children (and adults) reading. For example, the moral of "Big Eating Contest" is to not do stupid things. A more intriguing example is "Reachin' Richard"-- I can easily find dual interpretations for it. See, Richard develops a habit of reaching across the table and stealing other people's food. Over time, his arm grows longer and longer from all his reaching. Now, this could be interpreted as an attempt to scare children into acceptable table manners with the threat of damaged limbs. On the other hand, Richard has a very positive attitude about his adapting appendage. Perhaps, then, the poem is meant to inspire children (though not in this particular activity) by illustrating that repeated practice will allow them to improve their skills. They'll get better at something if they work at it. 

(Image from Falling Up)

In an attempt to wrap this up neatly, I will say that Shel Silverstein's poems are quite entertaining for all ages, and I greatly recommend you read some. Further, Silverstein's poems pick apart ideas and phrases that are common in the world and ridicule them. This challenges his readers to think in a similar manner. In doing so, these poems push people  out of their naturally narrow mindsets and potentially incite tolerance and empathy. His work may convey a message to small children, or just act as a simple option to keep them out of older people's hair (and vice versa). Or his work is just purely ridiculous. Informative or just absurd, there is certainly merit in these poems. 

-Fallon