Ations
Ations - meaning Summary
Small Acts Build Civilization
Silverstein lists everyday interactions—greetings, questions, talk, fights, apologies and help—and shows how these small acts combine into a social whole. The poem compresses social life into a playful chain of -ations, equating ordinary exchanges with the work of building civilization. Its tone is light and wry, ending with a self-aware aside that calls attention to the poem’s own playful claim.
Read Complete AnalysesIf we meet and I say, 'Hi,' That's a salutation. If you ask me how I feel, That's a consideration. If we stop and talk a while, That's a conversation. If we understand each other, That's a communication. If we argue, scream and fight, That's an altercation. If later we apoligize, That's reconciliation. If we help each other home, That's a cooperation. And all these actions added up Make Civilization. (And if I say this is a wonderful poem, Is that exaggeration?)
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