The Little Boy and the Old Man
Q1) What is the underlying message that is being conveyed in this poem?
The message is the that the adults were too engrossed in what they are doing that they have forgotten what it felt to be a child and forgotten how their parents had treasured them, thus resulting in not giving enough love and attention to both the child and the old man. That is why both the old man and the child are feeling lonely and neglected.
Q2) Has Shel Silverstein used any particular poetic technique that brings out this message more clearly?
Yes, he did. Shel Silverstein had used poetic techniques like rhymes that makes it sound better. For example: "Sometimes I drop my spoon"..."I do that too". The rhymes shows how the situation of the old man and the little boy are similar. This point can be further emphasized with the writer describing the old man at the end of the poem as " little old man". Shel Silverstein had also used dialogue of the child and the old man. This has shown how similar their situations are too as the part of the child is the voice and that of the old man is the echo.
Messy Room
Q1) Can you say that the poem is humorous? If so why?
Yes, the poem is humorous. Shel Silverstien had used different elements to describe the messy room. For example," His underwear is hanging on the lamp." This sort of injects some humour into the poem. The entire poem talks about the room to be messy and in a disaster state. At the end of the poem it is stated that the room belongs to the narrator himself, making the poem humorous.
Q2) What aspect of the human character has been highlighted in this poem?
The human character of pointing and commenting on others before reflecting on oneself has been highlighted in the poem. Thus, the poem is trying to tell us that before criticizing others, we should look at ourselves first.
Cloony The Clown
Q1) Explain the irony in this poem.
Every time when Cloony the clown perform any tricks, nobody would find them funny. Thus, Cloony the clown felt very sad. Thus, he told the audience how he felt and why he felt so sad. However, instead of sympathising with Cloony, the audience began to laugh.
Q2) Does Shel Silverstein manage to convey some harsh realities in this poem?
Yes, he did. Shel Silverstein was probably trying to show that when one is upset and tries to get some sympathy, what he gets is not he wants. In other words, people do not feel for each other and do not understand each other.
Q3) What poetic devices has the poet used to effectively convey the message?
Almost all the lines of the poem have rhymes and had used metaphors to effectively convey his message. All these devices had made it easier for Shel Silverstein to convey to us that Cloony had failed to be a clown.
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