The Poetry Of Gwendolyn Brooks: Black Arts Movement

“When you use the term minority or minorities in reference to people, you 're telling them that they 're less than somebody else.” The majority of Gwendolyn Brooks writings or poems are inspired by racism. She wrote mostly about black rights but wrote about Hispanic rights also. Inspired by her family, the neighborhood kids, race, and the Black Arts Movement, Brooks strived to be the best poet. She won many awards for her great efforts in poetry. Gwendolyn contributed immensely to her society and to poetry as a whole. Chicago, known to be a “ghetto” city, was changed for the better due to Brooks’ poems. The poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks, which was influenced by personal background and by the Black Arts Movement, has contributed to the American literary heritage.

Both of Gwendolyn’s parents, as well as her relationship with James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes, immensely influenced her poetry. Gwendolyn’s parents had deeply wanted her to have an education. Being an African American in the 1920’s was very hard. Many did not get an education. However, she was inspired by her parents to go to school and start writing at a very young age. In addition to her parents’ literary influence, Gwendolyn’s relationship with James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes inspired her to truly realize what type of poetry she wanted to write. Gwendolyn’s mom arranged a get together between Gwendolyn and the Harlem Renaissance writers (Terjesen “Gwendolyn Brooks”). Gwendolyn’s encounter with the writers encouraged her to do more. She started training in writing workshops and producing more poems. It is understandable that both Brook’s parental relationship and also her relationship with James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes initiated her writing but also inspired her to work as hard as she