Poetry PEA

Picture Puzzle Piece

One picture puzzle piece

Lyin’on the sidewalk,

One picture puzzle piece

Soakin be a button of blue

Who lived in shoe.

It might be a magical bean,

Or a fold in the red’

Velvet robe of a queen.

It might be the veil of a bride

Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.

It might be a small tuft of hair

On the big bouncy belly

Of Bobo the bear.

It might be a bit of the cloak

Of the Witch of the West

As she melted to smoke.

It might be a shadowy trace

Of a tear that runs down an angel’s face.

Nothing has more possibilities

Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.

By: Shei Silverstein

In the poem “where the sidewalk ends” is beautiful because of 3 elements: repetition & refrain, personification, and Alliteration.

First, there is repetition and refrain. That is “One picture puzzle piece”. I think this sentence is repetition and refrain. This sentence is repeating over and over again. So, which means this sentence is important. And also, this means the poet want to emphasis this sentence.Because one picture is the parts of our life. And by accumulating experience and others, you can do one big puzzle. Then, there is personification. That is “As she melted to smoke”. The person is not actually melting like smoke. But use this sentence and the poet is expressing about fine nuances. Because melted to smoke means after turning on the fire to the smoke it will turn to the air and also the smoke will disappear. Finally, there is alliteration. That is “big bouncy belly”. The poet put this sound device. Because the poet wants to tell the mood to the audience. And also, the poet wants to show about the rhythm of this poem. The poet wants to emphasis the sound of the poem.

To conclude the 4 elements: repetition & refrain, personification and alliteration makes the poem “picture puzzle piece” is considered a beautiful poem.