Poem Analysis Shel Silverstein

The Boa Constrictor Song

By Shel Silverstein

Just like any of his poems for children, “The Boa Constrictor” is extremely amusing though it might sound scary to some kids, especially those who are really afraid of snakes. But the image of a man being eaten by a snake is becoming somehow hilarious and it does no longer make you feel frightened.

The scene is growing progressively, the man being eaten first up to his toe, then up to his knee, then up to his middle, his chest, his neck until he gets completely “swallered”. The attitude is quite an optimistic one as, despite the unfortunate incident, the poet is presenting everything in an entertaining, funny light.

The whole experience is seen from an amusing point of view and the very final word is definitely the climax of it: BURP.

Everyone should try and read this poem as it is something different from any poem for children I have read. The nicest thing about it is that it leaves it to the reader to actually interpret its meaning, allowing endless ways of interpretation.