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, “I often cry.”
The old man nodded, “So do I.”
“But worst of all,” said the 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.
The Little Boy and the Old Man
Analysis, meaning and summary of Shel Silverstein's poem The Little Boy and the Old Man
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Dear Shel, this is the most amazing poem i have ever read. it really captures how much we ignore the elderly and children. Please write back to me, your biggest fan, Maddy xxx
I don’t think he’ll be writing back anytime soon. He’s been dead for a while now đ
i love this poem its funny and sad but most of all it is sweet..ect
i think that this poem is so sweet
and it like tells you that kids and adults arnt very differint at all
I love this poem! And I love it because it points out something so blaringly evident in American culture. We treat and ignore the elderly just as we do children. Even though the old men and women in this world have experienced decades upon decades more than the middle aged people who control their lives. We do not draw upon their wisdom or experience; we ignore it and act as if they have none, because they drop spoons and wet themselves.
I love this poem. It’s so heartfelt, that the little old man understands him. It means that young people’s problems aren’t always as little as they seem. The little old man knows that only all too well. I love it!
this poem is original and fun
The poem is about the progression of the man. How we all start as a little baby that needs to be taken care of, and how being old isn’t much of a blessing either because we fall back into a spirl of slowly regressing, just as children progress. So everyone please studat hard, learn well, live, and enjoy the time you have, you might always have these opportunities.
good. I feel that way too.
this poem is very good.It learns someone a lesson.i wanted to say hi to Shel Sliverstein. SO HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think thatthe poem says that we are so similar to different age groups and I think that most importantly we should treat our elders with respect because we don’t know how long they will be here. It is sad the way people treat others now a days. We should treat others the way we want to be treated. God Bless!!
This poem is so real. If your still in elementray school, well atleast at mine, there’s always atleast one kid who omost never fits in or is left out all the time.
This has always been my favorite poem! It is very sweetly written and very true! The old are wise, and the young have more knowledge than we give them credit. Never underestimate them because they can teach us more than you think. Dont ignore either one because they are human beings too!
THEY ARE PEDOFILES!! DROP HIS SPOON?!?!?! THE WARMTH OF AN OLD MANS HAND???? I AM STRICKEN WITH SICKNESS, (and a boner).
How absolutely sickening of a comment. I pray you never grow old and in need of someone to take care of you.
May you always have the strength, energy and coherence to pick up your own spoon when you drop it.
May you always be able to change your own “Depends” when the day comes that you need to wear them.
May any caregivers you may need treat you with dignity … even when you DO NOT DESERVE it!
This poem made me tear the first time I read it. It is very sad but very true. It makes you wonder what will become of you when you get older? Will anyone care?
i liked this poem its cool man
i like your face ALOT!!! ( :
call me
that is so super sweet, I just
I know the feelings well. I am raising my grandson. Have done so since he was 28 days old and each day he shows me the love he can give to many. God Bless the children.
This poem made me think of my own father whom i haven’t spoke to in a very long time i will call him tonight thank you!
I think that this poem is really sad, but although sad, it is very true
This is a poem that touches the hearts of everyone who reads it. It is the perfect example of children and the elderly and how similar they really are. It also serves as a note to everyone in between. Donât underestimate or overlook the young or old. The old have much to say and wise words to live by. The young need to be nurtured and cared for. The old hold the key to our past and the young hold the key to our future. If we do not listen to the old how can we teach our children? There is an infinite amount of knowledge that is lost through death and if we do not preserve that knowledge, the generations to come will be destined to rediscover it forcing society to repeat itself in an attempt to move forward.
This may seem like an extreme analysis of a childrenâs poem but there is so much more to it than meets the eye. This poem has the power to change lives with a separate message for each generation that reads it. A mother reads this to her child. The child hears it and realizes that old people are more than wrinkles and funny smells; the old are a lot like children and this brings the child closer to his grandparents. The mother reads this to her child and comes to understand that her parents have much to teach her as well as her little boy, therefore strengthening the relationship between the mother and her parents. The grandparents, with a closer relationship to their daughter and grandson, read the poem wile spending time with the small boy and discover how much they are needed, giving the grandparents purpose and joy in their final years.
Very well said! I agree 100%!
This poem is so sad. It shows us how even the youngest of kids have so many things in common with the older generations. It makes you think about how you treat your grandparents and how you sometimes ignore them. This poem puts things into perspective for me.
i think that this poem expresses the true feelings about children and older adults. as we get older we seem to think that the things that are important aren’t important anymore. this poem expresses a circle of understanding and achknowledgement. everyone should feel loved from the young to the old.
I dont know why, but when I read that poem, I just feeled touched. It shows that no matter how many years actually go by some things will and never will change. It shows that two generations are bridged through the simple facts of togetherness in things that you cannot understand but yet you feel.
It’s a great poem!
I think it’s true about pdrents not listening to kids!!
I think this poem is really cute! It is also very intersting.
wow! that is soooo sad! every time i read this poem i get misty-eyed! it reminds me of my grandfather! boo hoo!
I think this poem is beautiful, and does show a circle of life and understanding between the very young and the very old. But I think everyone, whether they are a child, an adult, middle-aged, a teenager, retired, a twentysomething, etc. has felt ignored, embarrassed, or set aside. And it is always a wonderful thing when somebody can make you feel that they perfectly understand how you are feeling.
it was so sad i cryed forever so please feel sympathy
lol……… sounds like my parents unclues cousion everthing!!!!……… shigh its all so true
why do you write about such sadness in the world? it’s so depressing!!! it was really touching though…. i don’t know what it’s like to have grandparents because they died from neglectance from my parents….
Boys flying kites, pull in their white-winged birds,
But you canât do that, when you are flying words.
âCareful with fire,â is good advice, we know;
âCareful with words,â is ten times doubly so.
Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes fall back dead;
But God himself canât kill them when theyâre said.
WILL CARLETON (1845-1912)
From The First Settlerâs Song.
It is a beautiful poem. I almost cried after the last two lines. Reminded me of my grandparents.
This is an enlightenment about the circle of life. He has brought together the beginning of the circle and the end of the circle in the two characters. I think that he wants us to feel compassion for them both, but more than that, I also think he wants us to take a good long look at what we in our society take for granted. The amazing thing about this is, that no matter in what stage of life we find ourselves right now, at some point most of us have or will have the opportunity to relate to both of these beloved people in the poem personally.
I just love this poem. I think it’s great about grown-ups not paying attention to their children! It’s the truth!
good lord this was such a touching poem. It was sad yes but the old man and the boy seemed as though the man was the boy when he was younger and the boy will grow up to be the man.
I really like this poem. It’s one of my many favorites by Shel Silverstein.
this touched my heart. Thanks to he who wrote it!
A beautiful poem. Sad yet heart-warming.