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Summary Of We Real Cool By Gwendolyn Brooks

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Gwendolyn Brooks’ (1917-2000) is a notable author and teacher. Why she was the first African American author to win the Pulitzer Prize is no surprise because her works deal with powerful struggles of everyday people. Her poem “We Real Cool” (published in 1960) is no different since it was written during the civil rights movement which consisted of tension, something this poem deals with. Her poem “We Real Cool” is a part of her book titled, The Bean Eaters. Brooks depicts the consequences of the theme, teenage rebellion. Brooks writes, “We die soon” an implication of what can happen because of rebellion. Her poem represents a lesson to those who want to choose to rebel with what will make them successful- not caring about your life can potentially lead to death. The poem being eight lines and written in simple context shows the pool players as uneducated. Brooks writes, “We left school” and “We die soon”. Because the teenagers were not found of school they chose to leave and due to their choices it would not take them long before they died. The short three word sentences show …show more content…

Teenagers already think life is carefree because all they have ever known is simple. Brooks writes, “We thin gin” this implies all they do is spend their time drinking because they do not have responsibilities to tend to. The carefree tone is supported by the quote, “We lurk late” if they are out late it means they have nothing to worry about the next morning. Because the teens have left school they have nothing to do but be careless. “We die soon” has a direct tone because if they do not change their perspectives on life the only thing that will set them free is death. It shows the consequence of what will happen to a teenager if they conform to the common rebellion of teenagers. The two different tones of the poem are done on purpose so for those who have different mindsets can understand the lesson that is being

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This symbolises the end of the structured society as they know it, they have to be their own authority now and there will be no adults to stop them. This really lays down a base for all the stupid and horrible things the boys will commit later on in the novel. Passage 2: “The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.” This quote from chapter 5 shows that the world as they were used to, understandable and organised with laws, is slowly disappearing for the boys.

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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.”

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529 Words | 3 Pages

Gang life is portrayed as tough, cool and dangerous, showing that many people in gangs had thick skin and could fight well. However in reality gangsters were always at risk of being harmed or killed. Both in the poem “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks and the article “What’s it Like to be a Gang Member?” by Bill Lee, portray the risks gang members faced and their everyday lives. Both passages also illustrate the terrible outcome of what happens when being part of a gang.

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882 Words | 4 Pages

In 1773, there were slaves all over colonial America working in plantations, and cleaning their masters houses. It wasn’t common for a slave to be writing poetry with their owners consent. Phyllis Wheatley’s success as the first African American published poet was what inspired generations to tell her story. It was her intellectual mind and point of view that made her different from others, both black and white. Phyllis’s story broke the barrier for all African American writers, and proved that no matter the gender or race, all human beings are capable of having an intelligent state of mind.

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924 Words | 4 Pages

The poem continues with, “We lurk late,” “We strike straight,” “We Sing sin,” “We Thin gin,” which all showcase the boys disinterest in education, lack of mental growth and pleasure in their street lifestyle. Drinking alcohol, staying out late and having sex are the only things that make up their reality. The last line of the poem reads, “We die soon.” This clearly illustrates the future of the seven pool boys, death. The boys are living a carefree life and do not want to be bothered by school or education.

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450 Words | 2 Pages

We left school.” tells the reader that gangsters usually drop out of school. Dropping out of school early can have life lasting effect on a person, and Gwendolyn Brooks uses specific textual features to make this point. Another example of what Brooks uses in the text is, “We Die soon.” which is in a new stanza, and shares with the reader that gangsters often die young.

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912 Words | 4 Pages

Placing that word there gives the poem a rhythm that makes it flow almost like a song. However, the “We” applied in this verse dramatizes the wasted life these young people are going to have because of one irrational decision. Brooks also applies imagery to reiterate the ridiculous idea of quitting school permanently.

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509 Words | 3 Pages

We often hear that ignorance is bliss, and that if we are unaware of what could go wrong or what is wrong, our lives would be happier and pure. Growing up I always learned that all actions have consequences whether they be positive or negative. This is an important lesson to learn as it makes us more aware of what we’re doing, and how what we do can affect us later in life. It allows us to make informed decisions and lead a healthy life knowing our actions have consequences. In Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem, “We Real Cool”, the idea of ignorance and how making bad life choices can have horrible consequences is explored through Brooks’ use of anaphora, caesuras, and metaphor.

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When the great white shark is a little pup its usually only 5 feet long, when it gets to be and adult it can reach up to 20 feet long. Even an extremely good swimmer can 't out swim the great white shark. The great white shark can smell a tiny drop of blood in 1 billions drops of water. When the great white shark is born it must get away from its mom and dad because if not, the mom and dad might think their pup is something for them to eat. The great white shark is in the waters in, Africa, Australia, China, Japan, and New Zealand.

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In the poem, Brooks uses literary devices such as connotation, tone, alliteration, rhymes, and repetition to give us a quick view into the rebellious lives of seven young boys who all seem to have one thing in common-- the struggle of social identity. To begin the poem, Brooks begins the poem by informing the readers who the poem is about and where it takes place. “The Pool Players… Seven at the Golden Shovel.” (891). She begins with this introduction to set the tone for the poem by giving the readers the setting; pool halls known for its dim lights, smoke, and alcohol.

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642 Words | 3 Pages

The narrator within the poem perceives himself as superior to the subjects that he observes, and recognizes that they behave as savages due to the absence of rules and boundaries. They fail to acknowledge the error in their destructive behavior and continue to act with free will, which portrays human nature as wicked and unruly. One of them glanced at the narrator and insinuated that they were equals, which implies that the narrator also indulges in sinful behavior with the rest of them. Despite the narrator’s feeling of superiority, their actions reflect the same manner as those they view as beneath them. There exists a domino effect that causes the behavior of others to influence the nature of those surrounding them.

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873 Words | 4 Pages

Through the poem’s tone, metaphors used, and symbols expressed the poem portrays that fear can make life seem charred or obsolete, but in reality life propels through all seasons and obstacles it faces. The poem begins with a tone of conversation, but as it progresses the tone changes to a form of fear and secretiveness. The beginning and ending line “we tell

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1085 Words | 5 Pages

On the other hand, teenagers ought to escape the confines of bland jobs and occupations, and open themselves up to a new world of opportunities and possibilities. The struggle of man, as adolescent, is epitomized in the final quote from Sammy: “my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter”

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524 Words | 3 Pages

Teenagers all of a sudden felt good being rebellious and decided they would like different things than their parents. And so begin the generation gap of teenagers and their parents. Without the generation gap, the

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486 Words | 2 Pages

In the first stanza, we can already see how this poem can relate to the world today and how we feel about certain things. We as humans don't like change. Sometimes, we want something to happen so bad, that we don't consider how our life might change if this wish, this hope of something, actually happened. We sometimes may want something so bad, but fear what the consequences might be if something goes

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