Shel Silverstein Quotes

• Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Children, Inspirational, Life

  Tags in Dreams, Listening, Cute, Hope

• How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Friendship, Life

  Tags in Dependence
• 

  If you are a dreamer,come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Poetry, Happiness

• He has the obligation to society that any human being has. I don’t think a satirist has any greater obligation to society than a bricklayer or anybody else.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Society

  Tags in Obligation

• Imagine – four years you could have spent travelling around Europe meeting people, or going to the Far East of Africa or India, meeting people, exchanging ideas, reading all you wanted to anyway, and instead I wasted it at Roosevelt.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Imagine

• I know a way to stay friends forever, There’s really nothing to it, I tell you what to do, And you do it.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Friends

• You’d better get your laugh while you’re making your point, or you won’t be doing it very long.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Better, Laugh

• Stand-up comics reflect less of a visual humor and more of a commentary.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Humor

  Tags in Comics

• If you’re behind the times, they won’t notice you. If you’re right in tune with them, you’re no better than they are, so they won’t care much for you. Be just a little ahead of them.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Behind, Notice

• I believe that if you don’t want to do anything, then sit there and don’t do it, but don’t expect people to hand you a corn beef sandwich and wash your socks for you and unzip your fly for you.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Believe

• I will not play tug o’ war. I’d rather play hug o’ war. Where everyone hugs instead of tugs, Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses, and everyone grins, and everyone cuddles, and everyone wins.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in War

• If you want to find out what a writer or a cartoonist really feels, look at his work. That’s enough.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Find

• I myself do not believe in explaining anything.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Believe

• To me, freedom entitles you to do something, not to not do something.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Freedom

• Never explain what you do. It speaks for itself. You only muddle it by talking about it.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Explain

• Tell me I’m clever, Tell me I’m kind, Tell me I’m talented, Tell me I’m cute, Tell me I’m sensitive, Graceful and wise, Tell me I’m perfect– But tell me the truth.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Funny, Life

  Tags in Cute

• Ricky was L but he’s home with the flu, Lizzie, our O, had some homework to do, Mitchell, E prob’ly got lost on the way, So I’m all of the love that could make it today.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Love

  Tags in Cute

• The hens they all cackle, the roosters all beg,
  But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.
  For I hear all the talk of pollution and war
  As the people all shout and the airplane roar,
  So I’m staying in here where it’s safe and it’s warm,
  And I WILL NOT HATCH!

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Fear

  Tags in Security

• If the track is tough and the hill is rough, THINKING you can just ain’t enough!

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Achievement

  Tags in Good

• And the tree was happy.

  Shel Silverstein

  Topics in Life, Love

Shel Silverstein (21)

Birth:	25th September, 1930
Death:	10th May, 1999
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Author, Cartoonist, Poet, Screenwriter, Lyricist, Singer, Playwriter

Related Authors

• Friedrich Engels
• Julie Kagawa
• Kyle Pruett
• Frances Fox Piven
• Tori Spelling
• Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin
• Tobias Wolff
• Lois McMaster Bujold
• Donald Richie
• Caroline Myss

Advertisement

Today's Anniversary - 15th July

Births

• 1938 - Alex Karras
• 1865 - Alfred Charles William Harmsworth
• 1960 - Kim Alexis
• 1901 - Nicola Abbagnano
• 1906 - Richard Armour

Deaths

• 1868 - William Thomas Green Morton
• 1976 - Paul Gallico
• 1885 - Rosalía de Castro
• 2003 - Roberto Bolano