The End of the World

In my misspent youth, I never once read a Shel Silverstein book. I am not entirely sure why--perhaps because I never learned to appreciate poetry as a kid, or maybe because I opened one once and the drawings scared me. While talking to Clara earlier this week, I thought of this fact and decided to remedy it. Herewith a review of Where the Sidewalk Ends: I don't think I would have liked it very much when I was a kid either. It's OK--some of the poems are clever, but many are rather predictable. For example:

Early Bird

Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird
And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you're a bird, be an early, early bird--
But if you're a worm, sleep late.


Cute, with an interesting moral. It leaves one with something to ponder--who is a bird and who is a worm? But, and this is the problem with the book, that was one of the better poems. All that being said, I wish I had read it when I was 10--I might have enjoyed it more, and I might have discovered poetry 20 years earlier than I did.

By way of contrast, consider A.M. Juster, whom I mentioned a few days back (published in First Things a while back):


Lifeboat Ethics

Since I'm a utilitarian,
I'll eat the vegetarian.


Now that poem is genuinely funny and easily the best summary and critique of utilitarianism I have ever seen. But, I wouldn't have liked it whan I was 10.