Literally Elements Similes are when one thing in the poem compares to something else. " My tonsils are as big as rocks." Sick In this simile it compares this girls, Penny Ann McKay, tonsils to rocks, as indication that they are too big, as big as rocks
Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor The poem Messy Room, Silverstein exaggerates to create a stronger feeling and to emphasis that the room is very messy. “Whosever room this is should be ashamed! His underwear is hanging on the lamp. His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair, And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp. His workbook is wedged in the window, His sweater's been thrown on the floor. His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV, And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door. His books are all jammed in the closet, His vest has been left in the hall. A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed, And his smellyold sock has been stuck to the wall. Whosever room this is should be ashamed! Donald or Robert or Willie or-- Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear, I knew it looked familiar!”
Rhyme scheme is the ordered pattern of rhymes (AABBBAA) He writes in Where the Sidewalk Ends; “There is a place where the sidewalks end And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson white, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. There is a place where the sidewalks end"
Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant sound in words Silverstein's poems use this element to emphasize humor, or to set a mood. He writes that the bear has "his face in the fish" and "He's nibbling the noodles" and "slurping the soda". Bear in There
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds for the same purpose, creating rhythm, continuity, a flow of sorts in the language. In the second stanza of Where the Sidewalk Ends, assonance is found through the short "a" sound: Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch where the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Rhythm- when the arrangement of words creates an audible pattern or beat when read out loud Because of the rhythmic feel of his poems they can be read as if they were songs. “You would have a giraffe a half with a rat in his hat looking cute in a suit with a rose on his nose and a bee on his knee playing toot on a flute with a chair in his hair and a snake eating cake.” A Giraffe and a Half
Themes Reoccurring themes in all of his poems are about problems that both children and adults face. In his poems he is able to create story that can influence children in their childhood as well as adults in the real world. The themes are usually along the lines of general life lessons that can help everyone. His poems are fun to read and are extremely relatable in a humorous way. Shel Silverstein is unique in the compromise between adults and children in his poetry. Kids enjoy Silverstein’s poems just as much as they are enjoyed by adults.