Every child reads comic poetry books such as The Giving Tree during their childhood. Its author, Sheldon Allan Silverstein, was one of the most recognizable children's poets and poetry icons of all time. He is known because, despite his past, he is able to help shape a future in the field of language, poetry and the arts for the innovators of tomorrow. Silverstein's works captured the essence of a person's childhood and forever changed poetry and children's literature. Shel Silverstein was not always the poetry icon he quickly became in the mid-20th century. He was born on September 25, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, during the Great Depression. Silverstein was not a very sociable child. His hobbies included drawing cartoons and writing. Silverstein was retracing Al Capp's cartoons when he was a child. As a result, his professional career as a cartoonist and writer began by drawing and writing for Playboy Magazine, in 1952. He was also not popular with girls during his teenage years, which motivated him to write more later more mature poetry about love. Silverstein wanted to appeal to all age groups and express that his talent was not just used for children's entertainment, but for everyone. Silverstein did not write to impress others “…he hoped that people, regardless of age, would find something to relate to…and experience a personal sense of discovery”” in his poetry (Shel Silverstein 1999). Silverstein was divorced and had a daughter who died in childhood. He served in the armed forces in the 1950s and participated in the Korean and Japanese War. Silverstein died in Key West, Florida on May 10, 1999, of a massive heart attack, at the age of 68. His legacy endures today thanks to the impact that his work is praised for. in the 21st century and will most likely be praised by future generations. Silverstein's poems, books, lyrics and illustrated cartoons essentially constitute his legacy. Works Cited “Shel Silverstein.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol.19. Detroit: Gale, 1999. Biography in Context. Web. March 14, 2014. “Silverstein, Shel. » Student of the world of books. World Book, 2013. Web. February 19, 2013. “Timeline of United States History 1900-1949.” Info please. © 2000–2014 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. Internet. March 17, 2014. “Timeline of United States History 1950-1999.” Info please. © 2000–2014 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. Internet. March 18. 2014 .