Silverstein and Roethke the Concept of Perception Essay

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Silverstein and Roethke

The concept of perception plays a major role in the poems "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein and "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke. In "Where the Sidewalk Ends," Silverstein looks to the future and contends that there is something unknown and possibly better beyond what he can see, whereas the narrator in Roethke's poem looks to the past to remember a time when he had no worries. Despite the differences in perspective, each writer is able to demonstrate how the narrator sees a glimpse of light in what would otherwise be considered a dark situation.

Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" aims to have the viewer look beyond what he or she knows is there. Silverstein's repetition and anaphora of the word "and" helps to show that there are an endless amount of things that exist beyond the proverbial sidewalk. By repeatedly using the word "and," Silverstein is able to demonstrate the multitudinous things that exist at the end of the sidewalk, which may be representative of the end of one's life. Silverstein describes, "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 a peppermint wind" (Silverstein lines 1-6). In Silverstein's mind, this destination is his goal and he urges his companion, whether in the poem or the reader, to "leave this place where the smoke blows black/And the dark street winds and bends" (line 7-8). Furthermore, Silverstein imbues the place where the sidewalk ends with innocent undertones as he contends that "the children, they know/The place where the sidewalk ends" (line 15-16).

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By contrasting the place where he is presently, which is black and dark, to the place where the sidewalk ends, which appears to be white and bright, Silverstein demonstrates how the narrator is able to see beyond the dark times that he may currently find himself in and allows him to focus on the brightness that lies ahead.

Similarly, Roethke is able to recall a moment of pleasure in what would otherwise be a dark moment in his life. While "My Papa's Waltz" appears to be….....

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