Shel Silverstein (1930–1999)

In years to come, it may well be commonplace for students of literature to reflect on Shel Silverstein as one of America’s greatest 20th-century poets. All of his books are beloved and revered, but the style which makes them so is perhaps best exemplified in A Light in the Attic. While a surface-level reading—indeed, as most children approach Silverstein’s work—finds the short poems funny and madcap, it is their surprising depth which will ensure their longevity. Take, for example, the metaphysics of “Reflection” or the proverbial nature of the catch-22 situation presented in “Anchored.” The poems are short enough (some are no more than 3 lines) to be enjoyed by the youngest readers, but their poignant, sometimes haunting, complexity makes them life-long favorites.… (altro)