Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein wirth a gutiar (http://legendsrevealed.com/entertainment/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/270blog_guitar.jpg)

“Unhappy the land that needs heroes” said Berltolt Brecht, and he was right; not one has been as creative and intuitive as the one and only Shel Silverstein, who forged his own poems and writing through his own mind and soul. Shel Silverstein is a hero because he always influences people with his poetry. His poems always make people happy, sad, angry, scared, and loads of positive and negative emotions. Not only did he write poetry but he wrote plays, songs, and linear notes. I think Shel Silverstein was a hero because he is a great influence to reader’s everywhere.

Another guitar (http://www.beachbrowser.com/images/shel.JPG)

Shel Silverstein’s poetry made his readers flood with a whole platoon of emotions. His poems make you laugh like the poem “BEST MASK?” “They just had a contest for the scariest mask, and I was the wild and daring one, Who won the contest for the scariest mask-, And (sob) I’m not even wearing one.” (Silverstein 139). This poem made me laugh the first time I read it. It made me want to become a poet just a little more and little things are what counts. Another poem that really made people laugh is the poem “SNOWBALL”; “I made myself a snowball, As perfect as could be. I thought I’d keep it as a pet, And let it sleep with me. I made it some pajamas, And a pillow for its head. Then last night it ran away, But first-it wet the bed.” (Silverstein 11). This poem made me a little sad, but made me laugh at the same time. It is very creative and it made some emotions come out. Shel Silverstein can show so many emotions in a handful of poems.

A picture of Shel Silverstein (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_92JtaVmZtZ8/SZHmIVT9uoI/AAAAAAAABX4/xo82NNYCdlc/s400/shel_silverstein.jpg)

Like a classic Hollywood hero Shel Silverstein served in the armed forces for the greater good of our nation. In the 1950’s “Shel Silverstein worked as a cartoonist for "Pacific Stars and Stripes," a Pacific-based U.S. military publication”. He wrote and illustrated several cartoons like “The Smoke Off” and “Rosalie’s Good Eats Café”.

This shows how heroes like Shel Silverstein are a great influence to readers everywhere and how most of all, he was a hero. He also was a hero to me because he was inspirational, and a very good poet who made great poems. He made amazing plays and songs that won awards and influenced people to strive and go the extra mile to get what you desired.

Shel Silverstein on a porch (http://www.jewoftheday.com/Ulpan/Images/Shel%20Silverstein.jpg)

Works Consulted Carlson, Ann D. "Silverstein, Shel." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2010. Web. 12 May 2010.

"Silverstein, Shel (1930-1999)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Jennifer Mossman. Vol. 19. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 12 May. 2010

Falling Up By: Shel Silverstein – “BEST MASK?” PG 139, “SNOWBALL” PG 11

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/html/home.html

http://faculty.weber.edu/chansen/humanweb/projects/MeghanUng/biography.htm