First Draft

Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein, the writer known for The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic and many more children’s books, was born on September 25, 1930. In his early life, he always had a passion for writing and was not inspired by any other poet because he was not aware of any. Because of this, Silverstein was able to flesh out a new style of writing that was going to change the future of literature and children’s books. He specifically said “I couldn’t play ball, I couldn’t dance . . . so I started to draw and write. I was lucky that I didn’t have anyone to copy, be impressed by. I had developed my own style” (“About Shel). Silverstein’s career really began until 1950 when he joined the army (Virginia). While enlisted in the U.S. Army, he was also a cartoonist for the Pacific Stars and Stripes military newspaper.  From there on, he continued his career in cartooning, drawing for Playboy and Sports Illustrated. When Silverstein jumpstarted his children’s literature career, it was a continual success for him and his style of writing. 

Shel Silverstein’s style of writing was something that was able to change the norm of regular children’s books. He was a firm believer in not always writing a happy ending; it was not his favorite thing to do. Silverstein would say “because life, you know, has pretty sad endings. You don’t have to laugh it up even if most of my stuff is humorous” (“About Shel”). He said this when he published The Giving Tree because many publishers and other people believed that I was too sad for kids and they will not get the true meaning. Even though this was said before, it did not stop him from trying to get the book released and it became one of his most known titles, even if it was controversial. The Giving Tree discusses themes of selfless love and how we take things for granted and don’t realize the consequences. At the beginning of the book, the boy started off visiting the tree every day and would always take the apple and stay with the tree and it made it happy (4-8). Then the story moves on to say:

“I’m too big to

climb and play”

said the boy

“I want to buy things 

and have fun

I want some money.

Can you give me some money?”(4-8)

At this part of the story, you can see the theme of selfless love that that tree gave and how the boy would just take things without know the consequences or thinking about the tree’s feelings. 

A Light in the Attic was also another book that a lot of people were not a fan of because of the things he put in the book. Silverstein was very known for his quirky and weird language and that brought a different style to children’s literature that nobody was doing at the time these books were writing. According to “Shel Silverstein’s Unlikely Rise to Kid Lit Superstardom”, people were saying all types of things about his book like they were satanic, sexual, anti-Christian and even cannibalistic. He was a promoter of imagination and he wanted to treat kids like they were equals. He wanted to bring a divergent side to his work by creating these wacky ideas like the characters eating people in his poem and to some people it came out to them as too weird for children (The Mag).  

Works Cited

Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. Harper & Row. October 7, 1964. Print.

Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic. Manhattan, New York, NY. Harper & Row.1981. Print.

The Mag. “Shel Silverstein’s Unlikely Rise to Kid Lit Superstardom”. Mental Floss. June 22, 2014. www.mentalfloss.com/article/. Accessed November 13, 2019.

Final Draft

Shel Silverstein’s Dark Literature for Kids

Shel Silverstein, known for The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic and many more children’s books, was born on September 25, 1930. In his early life, he always had a passion for writing and was not inspired by any other poet because he was not aware of any. Because of this, Silverstein could flesh out a new style of writing that was going to change the future of literature and children’s books. He specifically said “I couldn’t play ball, I couldn’t dance . . . so I started to draw and write. I was lucky that I didn’t have anyone to copy, be impressed by. I had developed my own style” (“About Shel”). Silverstein’s career really began until 1950 when he joined the army (“Shel Silverstein Biography”). While enlisted in the U.S. Army, he was also a cartoonist for the Pacific Stars and Stripes military newspaper.  From there on, he continued his career in cartooning, drawing for Playboy and Sports Illustrated. When Silverstein jump-started his children’s literature career, it was a continual success for him and his style of writing. 

Too Dark For Children To Read 

Shel Silverstein’s style of writing was something that was able to change the norm of regular children’s books. He was a firm believer in not always write a happy ending; it was not his favorite thing to do. Silverstein would say ” because life, you know, has pretty sad endings. You don’t have to laugh it up even if most of my stuff is humorous ” (“About Shel”). He said this when he published The Giving Tree because many publishers and other people believed that it’s too sad for kids and they will not get the true meaning. Though it’s a controversial book, it did not stop Silverstein from trying to get the book released which is now one of his most known titles.

Silverstein’s Most Successful Yet Controversial Book of His Career

The Giving Tree discusses themes of selfless love and how we take things for granted and don’t realize the consequences. At the beginning of the book, the boy starts off visiting the tree every day and always takes the apple and stays with the tree and it made the tree happy (Silverstein 4-8). Then the story moves on to say: 

“I’m too big to

climb and play”

said the boy

“I want to buy things 

and have fun

I want some money.

Can you give me some money?”(Silverstein 4-8)

In this of the story, you can see the theme of selfless love that that tree gave and how the boy would just take things without knowing the consequences or thinking about the tree’s feelings. The boy later grows up and the tree became a stump with nothing left to give the boy, who is now old. The ending of this book is arguable because many people prove that it’s not a happy ending, but that is something that Silverstein does intentionally. As mentioned before, Shel Silverstein’s writing is not meant to make you smile or feel content, he wanted to give you the reality. He grew up during the Great Depression from an immigrant family that didn’t have much money (Margalit). Writers always write from their experiences so these types of sad endings are where Silverstein decided to connect to because his life was always so happy. He also didn’t want is stories and poems to be predictable like all the other children’s books that are out there (The Mag). 

A Light in the Attic

A Light in the Attic is also another book that a lot of people are not a fan of because of the things he put in the book. Silverstein is known for his quirky and weird language and that brought a different style to children’s literature that nobody was doing at the time. According to “Shel Silverstein’s Unlikely Rise to Kid Lit Superstardom” people were saying all types of things about his book like they were satanic, sexual, anti-Christian and even cannibalistic. He was a promoter of imagination and he wanted to treat kids like they were equals. He wanted to bring a divergent side of his work by creating these wacky ideas like the characters eating people in his poem and to some people it came out to them as too weird for children (The Mag). The poem in the book titled It’s Hot! has some words and ideas where people might be afraid of reading to their children. One of the verses says: 

It’s hot!

I’ve tried with ‘lectric fans,

And pools and ice cream cones, 

I think I’ll take my skin off

And sit around in my bones 

This verse alone can prove why the book was banned in some places because they believe it as too bizarre for children to read about in school. 

Where the Sidewalk Ends

In this collection of poems, Silverstein discusses the many themes of childhood and adulthood and both have different perspectives about the world. This was also another one of his books that got banned in some states for themes put into the book (“Banned”). Parents viewed it as a rebellious book and that it had “drug reference, suicide, death, and a disrespect for truth and authority”(“Banned”). Other bizarre things that were said about the book is the poem titled Dreadful promoted cannibalism to kids because the entire poem is about how the character ate someone’s baby. The lines consisted of: 

“Someone ate the baby

What a frightful thing to eat!

Someone ate the baby

Though she wasn’t very sweet. 

It was the heartless thing to do 

The police haven’t got a clue. 

I simply can’t imagine who 

Would go and eat the baby”(Silverstein 141).

This poem is very out there and weird but the age group reading this will not look into it that deep. Silverstein is trying to add a comedic and weird element to it that will appeal to a new demographic of children and get them out of the serious side. He never had a chance to be a kid and have friends which are heavily influenced in his poems like this one. The kids that were banned from this book missed out on some great poems that did try to promote happiness like the one titled Hug O’ War. Not all of his poems were dark like everyone says, and some of them were even promoting positivity. Hug O’ War has lines that say: 

“I will not play at tug o’ war

I’d rather play at hug o’ war

Where everyone hugs 

Instead of tugs”(Silverstein 19).

This poem is conveying that he’d rather be loving and receive love rather than being aggressive like everyone else is. Silvertein wrote this book at a time where war was going on in Afganistan so this can have a relation to what he was trying to convey. All in all, Where the Sidewalk Ends is a collection of poems that came directly from the heart when Silverstein wrote it.

Whimsy and Quirky Artistic Style

When Silverstein graduated high school, he was admitted to the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts where he started his illustrating career (“Shel Silverstein: Cartoonist, Author and Creator”). This was right before he was drafted to the US army in 1956. His book cover tended to be in black and white and the books that have color are The Giving Tree, Uncle Shelby ABZ Book, A Giraffe and a Half, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?, and Don’t Bump the Glump. His simplistic style of cartooning is something that has been modernized and used by many other cartoonists. 

All in all, Shel Silverstein is a great and unique writer that changed the way most children’s books are written typically. He is known for his quirky and interesting drawings and literature that brought a different side to what mostly was written. Silverstein grew up not knowing any other poets in his life which is how he created his own way of writing and types of endings to stories. He was never inspired by anyone else and is always doing his work on his own. He was never the popular kid or the kid to cause trouble. He said that he didn’t have any athletic talents nor did he have a crazy social life, so he drew and wrote at home. Silverstein eventually died of a heart attack in his home in Key West on May 10, 1999 (“Shel Silverstein Biography”). Though he died, his impact in the children’s literature industry will always be remembered and his books are still read to this day. 

Works Cited

“Banned.” Where the Sidewalk Ends, Weebly.

Margalit, Ruth. “The Giving Tree” at Fifty: Sadder Than I Remembered”. The New Yorker. 

Condé Nast. 5 Nov 2014. Web. 4 December 2019

McLeod, Susanna. “Shel Silverstein: Cartoonist, Author and Creator.” Shel Silverstein,

Cartoonist, Author and Creator. The Cartoonists. 2003.

“Shel Silverstein Biography.” The Famous People, The Famous People, 1 May 2018, 

Web. 4 Dec 2019.

 May 2018, https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/shel-silverstein-129.php.

Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. Harper & Row. Oct 7, 1964. Print.

Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic. Manhattan, New York, NY. Harper & Row.1981. Print.

Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends. Manhattan, New York, NY. Harper & Row. 1974.

Print. 

The Mag. “Shel Silverstein’s Unlikely Rise to Kid Lit Superstardom”. Mental Floss. June 22,

2014. 13 Nov 2019.

Reflection

This RCA has helped me learn lots about how to do a proper MLA cited research paper and about Shel Silverstein. With the last assignment that we had to do, we also had to use MLA citations in it. I had some trouble figuring out how to do it with each source of information that I had. I got the hang of it but I got more practice in the RCA since it was a longer assignment. I had to remember that internal citations should be necessary for all places that I know I got the information that is not first-hand information from myself. Now I can completely avoid using the citation generators on the internet. I also learned an abundant of information about Shel Silverstein. All in all, this assignment has aided me in any future assignments that I have in my next English course. 

By doing the RCA I wanted to accomplish at looking and analyzing things into more depth than usual. Throughout this course, I always got feedback stating that I was not giving a deeper analysis of the topic I was discussing.  Since this essay is supposed to be more than three pages, I had to analyze Shel’s work on a much deeper level. I also wanted to accomplish writing a paper with fewer grammatical mistakes as possible so that my grade doesn’t get as affected by it. The potential audience reading my RCA could be poem enthusiasts or people that want to see a different perspective on Shel Silverstein. Another potential audience is people that are invested