Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
By Gwendolyn Brooks
Poetry Analysis
Poem:
THE POOL PLAYERS.
SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
Reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=JBpxJb24O8A&feature=emb_logo
[1960]
§ We Real Cool holds in its 8 lines the whole
lives of a teenage gang, from their
coolness to their demise. It could be a
motto, it could be a song, a chant, a lyric
rage against the powers that be.
§ It has end rhyme and internal rhyme
which is technically full - cool/school,
sin/ginand the repetitive We; this is rhyme
that binds together and holds tight,
suggestive of the brotherhood of the gang.
Overview The poem is not too long to induce
monotony.
§ The tone is one of defiance and stubborn
allegiance to the gang. This is a group of
outsiders who prefer pool to school,
dropping out to serious study. Late
alcoholic nights out on the street seem
much more preferable to dull nights in.
§ 1st African American to receive Pulitzer
Prize for poetry. (1950)
Background of the § Early years –
author... § Grew up poor
1917-2000 § “Spurned by other’s for loving to read
and write”
Professional career –
§ Worked for NAACP
§ Poems discussed racism, struggle, day to day life
§ Notably inter –racial discrimination
§ Changed from structured poetry to free verse
§ Poem is a commentary on the defiance
of youth (embracing non-conformity)
and their recognition of the end result of
such a life.
Alliteration § And when they sing sin does this mean they
are going against all the religious truths they
were brought up with? Are they foul
mouthing, undermining the Christian faith?
§ They may be true to their own oaths and
passions, they may be outsiders, not like the
mass of the mainstream, but there is the
notion too that they are a little pathetic.
§ Instructions: Write a poem about your
own “we” – a group to which you
belong. Maybe some people don’t
appreciate or value your group. Maybe
your group gets criticized a lot. Or
Activity maybe your group is known and loved
by many people. Whatever your group
is, help a reader see what makes it
special to you.