Poems by Shel Silverstein - Part 1 - The Little Boy and the Old Man

Shel Silverstein is a great poet. He is known for his 'tongue-in-cheek' humour, but because he manages to convey a deep and profound meaning about human realtionships through his poems.

The Little Boy and the Old Man

Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."

Said the old man, "I do that too."

The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."

"I do that too," laughed the little old man.

Said the little boy, "Sometimes I cry."

The old man nodded, "So do I."

"But most of all," said the old boy, "it seems

Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."

And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.

"I know what you mean," said the little old man.

This poem is about the conversation between a little boy and the old man. The little boy is neglected by the grown-ups, so is the old man. The message is conveyed that grown ups did not think about their future, and also did not pay attention to the little boy. They will become old too, but they did not show a good model to their children, who may just treat them like how they treated the old man. Hence, they should care for young and old. The poet used this conversation between the little boy and the old man to have a comparison between them.