The Little Boy and the Old Man

1. What is the underlying message that is being conveyed in this poem?
The author is trying to convey the sad truth that adults and those in their prime of life overlook those of extreme ages; the young and old, who are weaker than them and require care and attention, are left to care for themselves.

2. Has Shel Silverstein used any particular poetic technique that brings out this message more clearly?
Shel Silverstein writes the poem in a unique way: the whole poem is actually a dialogue between two characters: a little boy and an old man, representing those of the extreme ages. Furthermore, in order to emphasise the obvious and tragic similarities between the young and old, the writer also uses repetition, as shown by the old man's repeated responses "I do that too ...", "so do I...", etc.