Shel Silverstein

When I Am Gone

When I Am Gone - meaning Summary

Creativity Passes to Others

The speaker imagines their absence and asks who will continue making poems and drawings. The short, direct poem moves from playful worry about being replaced to an affirmative suggestion that a newer, better creator might emerge—perhaps the reader. It frames artistic legacy as transferable and empowering, turning concern about loss into an invitation to take up creative work and continue the playful tradition.

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When I am gone what will you do? Who will write and draw for you? Someone smarter—someone new? Someone better—maybe YOU!

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