Shel Silverstein's Book - a Light in the Attic

The third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, once said, "Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." One would think that thier words say more about them than their actions, but that is in fact not true. Someone's actions actually define who they really are and reveal a lot about their character, more than words do. Whether that person is discouraged by Whatifs, has a weakness, does not dare to dream, or is a hypocrite, none of that really matters because what really matters is what they decide to do in the end. Although Shel Silverstein died twelve years ago, he still inspires many people today to become better individuals by making them aware that their actions tell people who they really are, not words. "Whatif," "Where the Sidewalk Ends," "One Inch Tall," and "Messy Room" are just some of Shel Silverstein's famous poems, and although each poem has its own story, they are share a common theme, and that theme is that actions and characteristics define who the individual really is.

In Shel Silverstein's book, A Light in the Attic, he wants his readers to turn their lights on in their attics and make silly hopes and dreams in this world, and to never let the Whatifs discourage them. Using figurative language in his poem, "Whatif," such as imagery and alliteration, and while adding some perspective to get his message across, he writes, "Last night, while I lay thinking here,/some Whatifs crawled inside my ear/and pranced and partied all night long/and sang their same old Whatif song," (Silverstein/ Whatif/Ln 1-4). Although it is a person's desire to control and mange every silly question they may have, some are better left alone. Some questions people ask in their lives are not worth finding the answer to, since they create unnecessary stress. He uses rhetorical questions to inspire analysis and discussion in the readers mind as he writes, "Whatif I get sick and die?/...Whatif green hair grown on my chest?/...What if my head starts getting smaller?/...Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?/...Everything seems well, and then/the night time Whatifs strike again!" (Silverstein/Whatif/Ln 10-26). One's actions do in fact say everything about a person, and if that person wants to live a stressful life worrying about silly stuff that might not even come true, like green hair growing on their chest, they are going to miss out on the things that really matter, such as family, friends, hopes, and dreams. In order to live life to the fullest, one cannot let anything get in the way of their dreams. Anonyms once said, "We spend too much time living in the 'What if' and need to learn to live in the 'What is'," and that is exactly the reason why Shel Silverstein wrote the poem in the first place.

Shel Silverstein wrote "One Inch Tall" to all the people in the world that feel insecure about their weakness and are scared to be themselves for once. With a little exaggeration, he writes, "If you were only one inch tall, you'd ride a worm to school/The teardrop of a crying ant would be your swimming pool/A crumb of cake would be a feast/And last you seven days at least,/A flew would be a brightening beast/ If you were only one inch tall," (Silverstein/One Inch Tall/Ln 1-6). With the help of hyperboles and alliteration, he describes how the life of a one inch man would be like, using that man who is one inch tall as a metaphor for a weak person. With a playful and optimistic tone, he tries to encourage people to confess their weakness and accept it because everyone in this world has a weakness. To make this poem even more moving, he adds two lines about himself; he writes, "This poem took fourteen years to write--/ 'Cause I'm just one inch tall," (Silverstein/One Inch Tall/Ln 17-18). Shel Silverstein, one of the most inspirational children poet, singer, artist, and writer, admits that he himself is also one inch tall, showing people that he also suffers