Silverstein and Roethke the Concept of Perception

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). 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 rife with abusive undertones, the memory that the narrator has is anything but abusive. Despite the fact that the narrator comments, "The whiskey on your breath/Could make a small boy dizzy" and "The hand that held my wrist/Was battered on one knuckle," he does not cower from his father, but rather clings on tighter as the father and son clumsily waltz through the house (Roethke line 1-2 & 9-10). It is evident that the father and son are wrapped up in the moment and unaware of their surroundings due to the path of destruction that was left in the wake of their waltzing. The narrator states, "We romped until the pans/Slid from the kitchen shelf" and "At every step you missed/My right ear scraped a buckle" (line 5-6 & 11-12). It is evident that the father and son were so enveloped in their waltz that they completely disregard how their clumsiness is impacting not only the house, except for the narrator's mother. While the narrator remembers this waltz fondly, he also recalls that his mother was not amused by the event and her "countenance/Could not unfrown itself" (line 7-8). It is evident that the narrator and his father have a very close relationship and that the father works hard to provide for his family. The last stanza emphasizes this contention. Not only does the father "beat time on [the narrator's] head/With a palm caked hard by dirt," which demonstrates that the father works hard to make sure that his family has everything they need, but he also makes time to waltz with the narrator before he is sent "off to bed/Still clinging to [his father's] shirt" (line 15-16).