Analysis of "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

1. Define the dramatic situation.

• The speaker seems to be male.  As the poem is about a better world, this leads me to believe that the speaker is old and wise, thinking back on the improvements the world should undergo.

2. Structure

• The title of the poem is repeated in the first and last lines.  Punctuation marks separate each complete thought.  The author gets from one idea to another through the use of imagery, changing scenes with each stanza.

3. Theme/Central Message

• The theme is that there is something better to this world.  It implies that we should free ourselves from our polluted world and move on to something more pure.

4. Grammar & Meaning

• Grammar usage such as in the line, "Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow" hint to a deeper meaning that the place described in the poem is a place that you will never want to leave. You will want to "walk slow" so that you can enjoy the experience for as long as possible.

5. Important Images/ Figures of Speech

• "And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun grows crimson bright."  These two lines perfectly sum up the poem for me.  They are both intriguing images, events where anyone would want to be.

6. Important Single Words (diction)

• The poem employs imagery as best it can to give the reader a picture of how society should run.  Words and phrases such as "crimson bright" and "cool in the peppermint wind" contribute to this sense of imagery.

7. Tone

• The tone is encouraging and optimistic.  The author truly seems to believe that society can be better than they currently are.

8. Literary/Rhetorical Devices

• The most important literary device used is imagery.  It is seen throughout the poem as the author describes this new world.  Metaphors are also used, as seen in the line that states, "And there the moon-bird rests from his flight."  This line compares the moon to a bird, meaning that each day seems to last forever, but in a good way.

9. Prosody/Flow

• The poem flows very smoothly, with rhyming words and simple phrases.  I believe that this hints that the better world depicted in this poem will make life easier.