Are you an optimist or a pessimist? These kinds of questions usually say a lot about how your mind works and how you perceive the world. Both positives or negatives are a valid point of view though optimistic perspectives are usually more common. From poems and essays to short stories and articles, the perspective and tone matter. In the poem “Speech to the Young” by Gwendolyn Brooks she writes about how the old had self-sabotaged themselves with their pessimistic attitude and elucidated on how the young can't let it repeat again, and in the poem “Speech to the Young” by Gwendolyn Brooks the writer displays a coherent optimistic tone because of the positive message conveyed throughout the piece. As you read the piece you see very negative points being made about people who had destroyed themselves. …show more content…
In this piece they’re seen as the people you don't want to be, unsuccessful, obsolete and vulgar. The poet is writing to be the opposite of these low-lifes and to live your life out to the full potential, Though in the beginning being pessimistic the poem has an overall optimistic tone. Another way optimism is displayed in this poem is towards the end when the poet writes that you shouldn't “Live not for battles won.” (10), or “Live not for the-end-of-the-song.” (11), but to “Live in the along.” (12). Brooks wrote these lines with a very specific point to not live out of revenge or spite or just to get it over with but to rather value every little experience and cherish life for what it really is. The poet is writing about an experience that's different for everyone is what life really is. There's no set rule for how to live your life, there's no guarantee that your life is going to be amazing but, there's also no guarantee that your life is going to be