We are going to have an online discussion of the poem, "We Real Cool," instead
of analyzing it aloud in class. You need to respond, thoughtfully and
at a higher level, at least 3 times for each category. You may not repeat a fact or idea that someone else has posted. You must post ONE new idea and then respond to TWO other student's posts for EACH category.
For the paragraphs PRIOR to completing this blog, you need to follow the 3 paragraph instructions that you usually do PLUS write ONE paragraph (a 4th one) giving information about the author. Find "dirt" about the author, not the usual facts i.e. where she was born, what her husband's name was, etc.
Here is the poem below:
We Real Cool
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.
Gwendolyn Brooks
The categories are
listed below:
Tone
Theme
Literary Terms
Dirt about the author
Post 1 new idea relating to literary terms as a reply to this post. Then reply 2 separate times to other people's posts.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I noticed in the poem is the usage of 'we' at the end of each line. After looking into more about the author, I noticed the struggle of the African- American race during this time period. I thought that the word 'we' symbolized coming together to to accomplish an overall goal.
DeleteThe author uses meter in the poem to unstress the word "we". The author does this for the sole purpose of emphasizing the actions that the people are doing, and prove that anyone can do these actions. I thought this way laid out like this to emphasize the rebellious things that the people do.
DeleteThe author in every line from "We/ Lurk late. We/ Strike straight. We/ Sing sin" uses a verb. The author is trying to highlight the consequences of one's actions. I feel this is very important because during this time period African Americans struggled to find place within a racisted world.
DeleteThe author constructs the sentences throughout the poem in a very short, abrupt ending manner, implying the idea that the ideas are very assertive. This also enforces the idea that the tone lacks feeling, since there is a distinct lack of descriptive words or phrases to enhance the poem.
DeleteI noticed the author uses hyperbole when she mentions "We die soon". I believe the author did not meant to literally be killed but that the kids were killing their future and making the path ahead of them a dark path. Also i believe the author is saying how the kids will kill their purpose in life which in a way makes you non existent.
DeleteI noticed that the author ends all of the sentences in the middle of a line. This displays the abrupt changes in the perspective. This particular syntax expresses a change in thought. This abrupt change in the middle of a line asserts the aspect of a stream of consciousness. No aspect of the poem contains detail however multiple situations are mentioned. The syntax provides an emphatic perspective overall.
DeleteBrooks also rhymes the middle words in the stanzas one and three. When she does this she illustrates that sometimes life seems all fine and dandy but other times it can be filled with bumps and bruises.This relates to the civil rights movement. Sometimes the civil rights activist thought they were winning and then something would come along and they would be sent back to square a.
DeleteI noticed that Brooks wrote in a very simplistic manner, knowing that she was educated, I believe she did this to communicate with all education levels
DeleteThe title, "We Real Cool", is used by the author to mimic the slang used by the people in places like Chicago, were she is influenced by the things she experienced around her. The title can also connect to the pool players who dropped out of school and might use slang like this because "we real cool" is not grammatically correct.
DeleteThe author presents some alliteration in the piece which demonstrates a youthful reading. She represents this through phrases such as, "Lurk late", "Strike straight", and "Jazz June". This creates a flowing reading of the piece which the rhyming also contributes to.
DeleteThe last line states "We die soon." and I think this relates to the common saying the good die young because these kids are supposedly singing sin, but maybe they are actually just living life how they feel is right. Also, the use of the word we demonstrates that the narrator was a part of this rebellious group, as well as other people, not just them.
DeleteThe fact that only some of the lines end with periods is very important. Only three lines of the poem end in periods: 'The Pool Players,' 'Seven at the Golden Shovel,' and 'Die soon.' Because only these three end in periods and the rest do not, Brooks compartmentalizes the poem. The three lines with periods represent the theme of the piece; how their lives are destined to end abruptly if they continue to lead lives of crime. The other lines without periods at the end, rather the ones that have periods in the middle of the lines, serve as supporting details to this theme. By placing the periods in the middle of the lines, she demonstrates how these actions place them in the middle of a dilemma between a long life of intelligence and an abrupt life due to the peril of their criminal actions.
DeleteWritten in couplets, composed of short lines, I thought that the author was trying to mimic a pool game. Two players taking quick turns. In addition, the short length of the lines in connection to the phrase "die soon" suggests that life passes quickly.
DeleteMackenzie- I agree that she wrote short and simple sentences to communicate with all education levels in order to appeal to everyone.
DeleteSelin- I like your point that the word "we" symbolizes the coming together of a race and I think that the author is trying to unite the African-Americans who are being discriminated against at this time.
DeleteIn reply to Hannah Combs comment, I completely agree with what she said. I thought of the segregation that some were for it during the time period of this poem, or were against it.
DeleteBrooks portrays the influence of music in "We Sing sin." highlighting on the scandalous music that was coming up in the 1960's. The "pool players" represent the new generation of young adults fed up with old traditions and wanting to lead a rebellious life.
DeleteIn reply to Skyleigh's comment, I agree with what you said, because usually the good die young and I feel the author is trying to stress the importance of their own opinion in their decisions which lead to death.
DeleteMackenzie : I didn't think about that before, and I really like the point you made. Now that I think about it, I think it's a perfect example of Brooks trying to communicate with all age and education levels, probably because of the prejudice she received herself as a child growing up.
DeleteHannah Combs : I believe that is a very good observation, and I agree that the separation in the middle of sentences could represent a change in thought or stream of consciousness. It happens in almost every thought, not including "We real cool", and I think that represents an element of reluctancy, like Brooks is hesitant to explain why they are "real cool".
DeleteMckena: I had not noticed the lack of feeling from first read but, I have picked up on the abrupt ending of phrases through the poem to accentuate teenage angst.
DeleteTaylor: I noticed that as well with how the poem is written in mostly uneducated slang. Living in the middle of Chicago, Brooks was aware of the uneducated groups lurking around the city.
DeleteMeKena: I didn't see how abrupt the sentences were until your view. But rereading it, It really completes the piece
DeleteFaith: I really liked how you connected it to the culture at the time. I didn't notice it at first but it really does convey the rebellious vibe of that time.
DeleteFaith- I liked how you conencted the music to the time period and also how you connectd pool playing to the young generation. I agree that it enhances the rebellious feel of the narratorand the group of people she is talking about.
DeleteTaylor- I agree with you that the title is one of the most significant pieces. She enhancs the understanding of the generation she is regarding through her slang terms. Also, it was a very good observation of the "we left school" line. The author may have chosen a grammatimcal error to express the uneducated youth.
DeleteThe author uses a distinct rhyme scheme to demonstrate how a small or what seems to be innocent group of boys can commit to something lousy or crummy. The couplet rhymes in the middle in this piece. For example, cool/school and late/straight. This is significant because the author makes it seem like it is the end of the line but moreover, adds "We" to the end of each to show that it is not.
DeleteTaylor- I agree with the title having such a big meaning to the poem. The author has knowledge about the dialect in Chicago and when she named the poem, "We Real Cool", it shows how not only the pool players and boys in the piece are uneducated, but also everyone living in that area.
DeleteMckena- I also was surprised at the lack of description and how short the piece was. I agree that this demonstrates the lack of effort and knowledge the boys have throughout their life.
DeleteSelin-I had the same idea once I first read the poem. I knew it was written during the civil rights movement, so I visualized a group of teenage African American boys struggling to find their place in society. By placing these the word 'we' strategically, Brooks shows how they unite since they are placed under the same oppression of not being treated equally.
DeleteFaith-I agree a lot with your connection to the music that was being made during this time period and the line 'Sing Sin.' They used this music as a way of uniting as one and escaping from their daily battles of being treated differently as a result of their skin color.
DeleteThe title "We Real Cool" sounds like lyrics from a blues song. This contributes to the speaker and setting of the poem because blues music became more popular due to the Second Great Migration. The title helps contribute to the tone of the poem.
DeleteAshley: I agree, I also think that the we symbolizes that when you are trying to be cool you can follow the crowd and make mistakes because others convince you to.
DeleteSkyleigh: I agree with you saying maybe she was a member of a rebellious group, maybe Brooks was a big member in the civil rights movement. The poem can mirror the entire movement.
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DeleteEvery word in the poem, “We Real Cool” has only one syllable. Each stanza is made up of two couplets, and each couplet rhymes in the middle of the sentence, rather than the end of the sentence. The author inserted the word “we” at the end of every line instead of at the beginning of the new line, as if the word is pointless. The purpose of the word “we" is to unify all teenagers and the way their minds work.
DeleteMary - I agree with what you are saying. I think that it is very interesting to say that you believe that the word we is to unify all teenagers and the way that they're mind works. Using the word we as a unifying word is such an interesting idea to me!
DeleteSara - I thought your idea of the game pool in terms of the poem was very interesting. I really never thought about that, and I really find it interesting!
DeleteSara - I thought your idea of pool was very interesting because generally the turns in pool are short. Also some are longer because some take longer and this is represented by longer words. Also the beginning of the poem has longer sentences and this may be because it takes more time to break the balls.
DeleteMary - I totally agree that we is supposed to unify teenagers and people in general. I really liked your observation of this because I felt the same way. The poem was talking about many people, not one, and the word was emphasized with repetition, but not with placement within the poem.
DeleteIn the poem the author allows irony to be shown, especially in lines one and two, “The pool players. / Seven at the Golden Shovel.” Within the first few lines, the author ironically signifies the player’s lifestyle. By using the number “seven”, the author implies that the players are lucky. The irony behind the number seven, is that the players are rushing into their death. Also, by making the shovel “golden”, it allows the players to be foreseen as young and arrogant. Finally, the shovel serves as a reminder of death and burial. Seven young players digging their own graves and rushing into their deaths because of their arrogance.
DeleteMackenzie- I agree that the author made the poem significantly simple to embrace everyone and their education. I also believe that she her simplistic writing allows people to comprehend her views.
DeleteFaith- I agree that the change in music expressed their beliefs and feelings towards the strict customs/traditions in their society, and it helped understand their actions and rebellion against their formality.
DeleteAngelica- I failed to make that connection! Now that you've pointed it out, I totally agree. I like how you relate the number seven with the fact that the players are just flying through life and rushing to their deaths.
DeleteSelin- I agree, and I made the same connection with the placement and purpose of the word 'we'. I believe that it is simply used to unify the group, or certain races or ethnicities.
DeleteMackenzie- I completely agree with you. I never thought about that when reading it. Now that you have said something that makes complete sense.
DeleteAny line that is read could be perceived differently depending on what word you emphasize it. "We Real Cool" the title, we or cool could be stressed and give it another meaning or tone to the poem.
DeleteSkyleigh- I thought about the first part, where the line "We die soon" relating to the good and young die early, but I did not think about connecting this line to the personal aspect of the author. I thought maybe she was acting as an outsider wishing she could have been apart of that group but instead she sat on the outside behaving.
DeleteMary- I like how you looked at the set up of the poem and not just the poem itself. I did not look at the poem that closely. I noticed the rhyme scheme but not the other things.
DeleteSelin- I agree and see what you're talking about but I also think that 'we' would represent how if she ever got into that rebellious crowd then she would not want to be alone and band together with whoever she could.
DeleteThroughout the poem the author uses childish diction and slang to represent her teenage audience shes talking about.
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DeletePost 1 new idea relating to tone as a reply to this post. Then reply 2 separate times to other people's posts.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the tone in the beginning of the poem is very upbeat and song-like. Then, in the last stanza, the tone turns very dark.
DeleteI believe that the tone through this poem is earnest. I believe that the author is very sincere with how she writes this. It was a true problem within the society at the time of being victimized and she truly was being affected.
DeleteI believe the tone through the poem is sarcastic. I think the author is trying to state how ones actions leads them to maybe an early death.
DeleteI believe the tone throughout the poem is almost callous, because the short, abrupt ending sentences imply a certain lack of feeling in regards to the topic.
DeleteI believe the tone is very bold. As to say the author writes this poem to show how the kids do not care what anyone think of their decision and are flat out proud of what they do.
DeleteI think the poem as a tone of anger. Brooks seems to be very angry that people have been shot down, beaten, and killed just for wanting true equality.
DeleteThe authors tone in my perspective is forthright. Gwendolyn Brooks, is very straight forward about her motivations and actions overall. This reveals the assertive demeanor in the work as well as through the groups actions. Utilizing short sentences that appear very blunt helped determine my opinion.
DeleteI believe that the tone is a carefree, relaxed at the beginning then turning very glum at the end. I think Brooks does this to describe how views can change as one gets older.
DeleteThe jazzy rhythm makes for an unconcerned tone in the beginning of the poem. The short sentences make for a relaxed tone that doesn't show much emotion and seems quite careless. The ending brings a more serious tone when it mentions death, however.
DeleteI believe the tone of the poem is ironic because she is actually fighting for cause, however, she writes her piece with an abrupt, uneducated point of view.
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DeleteI believe the tone of the poem comes across as rebellious because the author explains that the kids are doing bad things such as singing sin and drinking gin, and they don't care what anyone thinks. They say we die soon as if they don't care if they die or not.
DeleteI thought that the tone throughout the poem was confident. Loyal and united through the word "we" the poem suggest that the characters have found themselves and their place among others.
DeleteJessica- I had not picked up on the anger upon first reading this poem, but now I can see where you are coming from in saying that she wanted equality among races.
DeleteSara- I picked up on the same confident tone while reading this poem, and I think that the people in this poem are proud of who they are and the things that they do.
DeleteJessica- I kinda agree with your saying but I don't feel its necessary anger but indignant. The author was trying to encourage change for the unfair treatment of blacks.
DeleteFrom this poem I think haughtiness shines evidently from the overuse of "We" and the abrupt ending of lines. Brooks is representing the boys as proud and ignorant to illuminate their childish behavior.
DeleteAlyssa : I didn't think about it that way, but I agree. It is strange that she would fight to change the prejudices about how African-American authors are perceived, yet she would write in a way that seems uneducated.
DeleteSara : I agree completely with what you said regarding the use of the word "We". I got a sense of unity surrounding the mentioned group, even though they were never explained in detail.
DeleteTaylor: I really like your use of the word " Jazzy", it fits perfectly with the time and music culture.
DeleteHannah Combs: I also seen Brooks writing as straight forward. I like your description of it, I didn't notice everything you did.
DeleteJessica- I agree that a potential tone would be anger. The author uses abrupt sentences which creates the fierce tone and a wish for change.
DeleteAshley- I agree that the tone started off easy going and as the poem progressed it changed cold. I believe the author intended to do this in order to enhance her goals of equal rights.
DeleteI believe the tone of the poem is very fatalistic and lacking hope because of the way the characters in the poem view death and their ways of life.
DeleteAshley- I agree with the dramatic change of the author's views from the beginning to the end of the poem. I think it is important that such a change happened in this short of a poem to complement the author's point of the effect of lack of education in equal rights.
DeleteSara- I didn't really think of it that way. I saw it more of the characters lacking self esteem and then eventually giving up and resorting to unhelpful ways of life.
DeleteI believe that the tone of the poem is very understated. As I read it, there was absolutely no fluctuation in my words because of the way it is punctuated.
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DeleteThe tone of the poem is very condescending because the cool people think they are better than the other people. This probably mirrors Brooks experience in high school.
DeleteJessica: I agree with the angry feel given from the poem. I did not at first see the violent demands from the poem until you pointed it out. Brooks does seem angry with actions of society in the 1960's.
DeleteSkyleigh: I also got a rebellious feel from the poem from those same lines you pointed put; "Sing sin." "Thin gin." It as almost the kids are growing up to fast.
DeleteAlyssa-I agree with your comment about how ironic this piece is because she is African American herself and she is criticizing their behaviors that arise from their lack of self satisfaction as a result of their being treated unequally.
DeleteMaddie-I can see your connection with the lack of hope within the poem. I did not get any sense of optimism from the piece, only a sense of disappointment and giving up.
DeleteAlyssa: I agree, it mirrors how race issues continued to grow in the United States.
DeleteJessica: I agree, maybe Brooks was jealous of whites or others in her past. Brooks may also feel that others feel the same way as her.
DeleteMegan - I agree with what you are saying, though I do not think that the author is only trying to say that ones actions may lead to an early death. I think that she wants to express that ones actions may cause brokenness and abruptness in ones life.
DeleteMackenzie - I agree with you in saying that the author is expressing ones changing views in life. I think that this mindset is very interesting!
DeleteI believe that the tone of this poem is rebellious and lacking emotion. The author portrays the group as people who are self confident and they are able to talk about death as if it does not affect them. They have learned through their nonchalant lifestyle to brush things as serious as death off their shoulders.
DeleteAlyssa- I completely agree with you and that made me question the author more frequently while reading this piece.
DeleteSara - I agree that the tone of the poem is confident because the teenagers described in the poem are confident with their choices no matter what the consequences are.
DeleteTim - I agree that the tone of the poem is very bold because the kids seem to be careless with their actions and choices.
DeleteWith each action being made, the tone of the poem becomes more prideful. But the tone changes dramatically, and it becomes almost pathetic. I believe that the ending of the poem changes from being prideful to sounding pathetic because the poem comes to an abrupt end, almost as if the speaker realizes how pathetic their lives became.
DeleteMegan- I completely agree and can see the sarcasm within each line, as if the author is blaming early deaths on stupidity.
DeleteAshley- I agree that the poem begins very upbeat like a song, and I think the abrupt end of the poem allows the dark tone to settle and it emphasizes the darkness behind certain actions.
DeleteMegan- I agree, the sarcasm within each line is very prominent. I believe that the author is trying to make the readers realize how arrogant the group members really are.
DeleteSelin- I completely agree with what you are saying, because of the strong discrimination against African Americans within this time period.
DeleteEvery time a line of the poem ends with "we", the poem is added with a new sense of pride. Because the poem focuses on the importance of identity, each time the pool players say "we" a new layer of pride is added. Though what they do is not the most righteous, they are still prideful in what they are, and every "we" in the poem helps to cement that.
DeleteThe tone throughout the poem would be dark and indistinct. In the first half of the poem, I do not think it is upbeat, the narrator longs for attention and writes about such events and states her opinion about these young boys in the pool hall, almost longing to be apart of it, but deciding that it would not be the best for her.
DeleteMary- I completely agree with what you are thinking about with the specific group of boys, but I think that does not apply to the narrator. The narrator is an onlooker that is curious about why and what made them act the way they did.
DeleteMary- I agree that the the tone might be rebellious. I do not however think that there is no emotion. I feel like it has a lot of emotion maybe undertone emotion but it's there.
DeletePost 1 new idea relating to theme as a reply to this post. Then reply 2 separate times to other people's posts.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the theme of this poem has to do with identity. The poem constantly mentions the word "we", so I believe that the group speaking is trying to define traits about themselves, such as how they are sinful, and how they are always living on the edge. The group wants to prove who they are to as group of people.
DeleteI believe that the theme of this poem has to do with persevering. I imagined this poem as the hardships of a group together that had to overcome an overall goal. Together it shows through the word 'we' that it could be achieved. I saw this being achieved with the line that says 'we Jazz June' because to me this seemed like an overall happy activity.
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DeleteI think the author made the poem so short to emphasize immediate consequences from bad decisions. The author does not give an alternate course of events which suggests that bad decision always end in an early death.
DeleteI believe that the theme of this poem relates to the idea of social constructs in regards to society, and the problematic aspects related to these sort of internalized pressures people tend to fear in order to fit in. The poem begins with the idea that the group of people are real cool, going on to say that they left school. I saw this as an implication that the group desired to be cool, and in order to do so they have taken extreme measures that society has previously deemed as "cool", such as leaving school.
DeleteI believe the theme of this poem is to illustrate how kids live in the "now" time. Which is saying kids do not think about how their choices now can impact their lives in the future. I believe Gwendolyn wants the audience to see how the younger generation does not look to the future of life which will be determined by kids choices in the past.
DeleteI think the theme might be along the lines of life not being all that people think it is. At the time this poem was written the civil rights movements were happening. This shows how people may have thought everyone was equal but in reality they were never close to being truly equal.
DeleteThe theme of this work in my perspective, is that life choices determine future actions. How we choose to live our lives, creates a basis of events or actions to follow. Brooks determination of a certain lifestyle controls the ending of the piece. Death is an option for some types of lives more commonly than others. If you drink, play, and sing inappropriate music, that was a lifestyle of a risky person. In this time period, risky lives were more common, but the choice of a lifestyle leads to the future.
DeleteFactoring in the use of the words 'sin' and 'gin', which are normally not the best things. Brooks seems to be giving a rule breaking, bad kid theme. She tells of the adventures of the kids, one's parents always warned one to stay away from.
DeleteThe theme of this poem is pride and how the boys in this poem are content with who they are the things they do. They take pride in skipping school and drinking alcohol and hanging around the wrong group of people. They are comfortable with the fact that they will die soon.
DeleteI believe the theme of the work is live in the moment. These kids do not worry about stressful things such as school and pleasing others and instead do what makes them happy in the moment. They may pay for their decisions later in life, but in the moment they don't think about any of the consequences.
DeleteFrom the reading, I thought the theme was that life is a gamble and you must take risks. After leaving school, they are sent into the world. Unsure of their place, the kids must work and make choices to find success.
DeleteMegan- I had not thought about this point, but what you are saying makes sense- that the short poem is mimicking the short lives of the pool players.
DeleteMcKenna- I agree with your point that society plays a huge role in the boys' actions and how they are acting how they are in order to fit in.
DeleteGwendolyn Brooks utilizes the poem "We Real Cool" to highlight on the constant need for teenagers to rebel against authoritative figures and push boundaries far beyond capability.
DeleteAshley : I didn't think about the use of the word "We" in that way before you mentioned it, but now I understand what you mean. The "We" in the poem is always isolated, highlighting it and its significance in the piece.
DeleteTaylor : I also think this may be the case, because the entire poem is based on the fact that they are "real cool" because of what they do.
DeleteAshley: I didn't notice the use of identity, but your example is very insightful.
DeleteSkyleigh: I also believed that it's point was to live in the now
DeleteI believe the theme of the poem regards change in society. She proves that the minority group cannot make change no matter how much they perservere. She pinpoints the fact that change is difficult unless the majority of the society is willing to contribute.
DeleteTaylor- I agree that the boys represented in the poem act confident in their ways and obtain pride. Even though they "die soon", they chose to go down that rebellious path.
DeleteJessica- I agree with your statement because the people are trying to fit in the entire poem. They do what they think will please society but then they "die soon". I see what you mean with the misinterpretation of equality.
DeleteThe theme of the poem is that uncivil actions lead to designated consequences even without realization of being involved with mischievous people and things.
DeleteMackenzie- I agree completely with what you are saying. Today in society, when alcohol and teens are talked about in the same conversation, it normally leads to the conclusion of sin or unwanted punishments.
DeleteTaylor- I also saw pride in this poem. They think that they are doing everything correctly even with sin and consequences, so whether they live or die doesn't matter to them because they already believe they have lived their lives completely correct.
DeleteHannah: I agree with your theme in the sense of we have to be careful in our choices for they will affect us in either near or far future. This also plays on the belief of "karma".
DeleteAlyssa: I found your theme very interesting as I had not thought of that what-so-ever but, it is true to back then and now. It is as though we idolize people that are "popular" more than follow what we know is right.
DeleteI thought the theme of the poem was lack of individuality. Society decides what is cool and what is not. Many people change themselves to fit into a different crowd. I think the author is encouraging people to be themselves.
DeleteMcKena: I agree, maybe following the crowd is not always a good thing and it can lead to bad decisions and mistakes.
DeleteSkyleigh: I agree, you have to make mistakes in order to learn from them. We can't truly find ourselves until we have faced struggle and mistakes.
DeleteMegan - I thought that this concept was very interesting, and I never though of the length of the poem to have a certain meaning.
DeleteFaith - I thought of rebellion in this poem, but I never thought about how the words "we real cool" symbolize this fact. I totally agree with what you are saying though!
DeleteMckena- I completely agree with you on this subject, and it made me think of the other completatives decison children make in order to be "cool".
DeleteAshley - I agree that the theme is identity because I believe the teenagers are trying to find who they are and they do this by experimenting with singing sins and drinking gin.
DeleteAlyssa - I agree that a theme in this poem is change in society because the teenagers are portrayed as weak because society has it's mind set in a certain way and they aren't going to change their ways just because of a group of teenagers.
DeleteI thought the theme was that a person's own choices and values could be what lead them to an early grave. I think that she is saying that they are responsible for their own problems and society is not.
DeleteCarley - I agree with what you're saying. I think that most people just try and do what everyone else does just because it's "cool", even if they don't want to.
DeleteFaith - I understand what you're saying because I think that a lot of teenagers are just wanting to act like adults, so they think that they aren't obligated to take directions from anyone.
DeleteI believe that the theme relates to one finding their individuality and self-importance within a segregated society. The "WEs" support my theme in a matter that the players are trying to identify themselves somewhere besides a school environment. They try to identify themselves with each other because the world around them is changing while they try to stay united.
DeleteMallory- I agree with your theme and how it may be about values, but I also believe that society has led them to make poor decisions.
DeleteCarley- I agree that the poem has to do a lot with individuality and how society affects it. I can also see how the author encourages people to be themselves, but I believe the poem is more sinister than motivational.
DeleteI believe that a big theme of the poem is mortality. Based on everyone's comments, this theme could be taken into two different aspects. The speaker could mean that the boys' dangerous and risky habits could speed up the time of their death, causing a tragic ending too soon. However, the speaker could also mean that the boys are doing what they want and living life to the complete fullest, making everyday count as if they were to die tomorrow.
DeleteAngelica- I agree with your comment, as I also interpreted one of the themes of the poem being the struggle to find one's identity and be satisfied with oneself. I thought that they were carrying out their risky habits to try to fit in and feel more accepted and self confident.
DeleteMallory- I very much so see your connection between the poem and the theme of how these dangerous behaviors threaten their time to live. Although they make them feel comfortable and happy temporarily, in the long run their lives could be at stake.
DeleteI believe that the theme of this poem is pride. It can be inferred that the teens even take pride in the phrase “we die soon”. The group believes that they can do whatever they please because they are all going to die anyway. Thus creating the carefree sense that will propel these group members through the rest of their lives.
DeleteAshley- I completely agree with your theme. I can see that the members of the group are only trying to make an identity for themselves, so they will do whatever it takes to do so.
DeleteFaith- I agree with you, because it is a teenager's natural state to feel the need to rebel against authoritative figures.
DeletePost 1 new idea relating to author "dirt" as a reply to this post. Then reply 2 separate times to other people's posts.
ReplyDeleteA major 'dirt' fact that I found about this author was that she had transferred to three different schools in her high school career. This is where she saw the effects of prejudice throughout every school. This affected her writing which I saw when she was writing 'we real cool. we left school'.
DeleteI believe that the fact that the author moved to Chicago and lived there for a majority of her life has a big effect on the way that she sees people like those depicted in the poem. If she had not moved to the big city of Chicago, she may not have had the inspiration to write this poem. She could be speaking about a gang or a group of people that she observed in Chicago in this poem, and how they seem to try to act "cool".
DeleteI believe the fact that the author's father had always wanted to become a doctor but never got the opportunity is important to the piece, because of the final phrase of the poem, "We die soon", implies that life is short. The abrupt way the phrases is stated implies a lack of feeling regarding this idea.
DeleteI believe the fact that the authors mom could not afford to attend medical school influences the poem tremendously. I believe it hurts the author to know that young kids today have the opportunity for a free education but choose to not take advantage of it when people like her mom wanted an education but could not get it because of financial issues. Which is why Gowendolyn feels passionate about kids choice over education.
DeleteGwendolyn Brooks, in her adolescent years, transferred from an all white school to and all black school. I believe that this translated into the author's work through the need and want of acceptance. Brooks uses the phrase "We," out of the need for attention and appreciation for others. She remained under the influence of peer pressure as she tried to adapt and fit in, in new schools. Transferring schools also affected the need for acceptance because during that time she faced peer pressure to fit in, not offend others, and overall blend in to her surroundings.
DeleteShe was the first black women to hold many titles such as Library of Congress poetry consultant. She often wrote about politics regarding Blacks. She wrote many of her first poems about the poor urban Blacks. Her poem “We Real Cool” is an example of this. She often wrote about the Civil Rights. She would join in some of the strikes that occurred. They are what gave her the idea to write “We Real Cool”. She lived the majority of her life in Chicago where the riots often broke out.
DeleteI found that Gwendolyn Brooks was inspired to write this poem when she was walking down the streets in Chicago and saw boys playing pool on a school day. She began considering the things that society tells people to do in order to look "cool". I think that Brooks knew she was not what society looked at as "cool" because she was an author and did well in school.
DeleteI truly condone Brooks because she spoke and refused to be silenced with many with things going against her. She was a woman with a strong, unchanging opinion in a time where women were meant to be seen and not heard. As well as the fact that she was African American in a time of segregation. Later in her career, I learned that she gave voices to women through her pieces.
DeleteI found "dirt" that said Brooks spoke out against others opinions within her work, and I think this related to "We Real Cool" because it's not a story of kids making the right decisions, it's a story of kids doing what they feel like and not thinking about their future. Therefore, Brooks need to speak out against majority public opinion relates to the poem "We Real Cool".
DeleteWhen I first read the poem, with no knowledge of the author, I imagined that the boys were African American teenagers struggling with their identity. Since the poem was written during the time period of civil rights activism, I figured that it must be a prejudice white author criticizing the African American children for settling into bad habits because of their lack of the feeling of acceptance. When I found out the author was a black woman, I thought it was really ironic. I also found that her book Maud Martha was about a black woman suffering from the prejudice of whites and also blacks who had lighter skin than her. Brooks admitted that this character's experiences mirror her own.
DeleteWhen looking up information about the author one specific peice stuck out to me. Many of her writings display a political consciousness, especially with several of her poems reflecting the civil rights activism of that period. When knowing this it made me think of the poem more in depth, she was trying to reflect that the whites that they were"cool" when they were being savagely toward the blacks. With this I thought of mutiple ways the poem could be taking literally or with deeper meaning through the eyes of either whites or blacks.
DeleteBrooklyn- I thought the same thing when I read the poem without knowing any background information on the author, and my perspective changed as well when I found out who she was and what she stood for.
DeleteHannah- I did not know this detail about Brooks switching schools, but agree that it could play a part into how she feels about fitting in and being "cool"
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DeleteFaith : I think this is great insight into the author and understanding how she writes or why she writes in the way that she does. I believe that may be the reasoning behind the broad use of the word "We", instead of a descriptive explanation of a particular group of people.
DeleteSkyleigh : I agree with that idea and understand how it relates back to the author. I got the kind of feeling that Brooks was deliberately lacking emotion in the piece in order to convey the idea that these actions are not harmful or wrong, despite what other people may think
DeleteSelin: Not only did she attend four schools but one of them was majority white. There she faced discrimination which contributed to her writing.
DeleteMegan: I agree with the white kids being "cool" because Brooks probably acted differently so she could fit in with the white students. The white students probably thought they were better than her.
DeleteI found that the author had great support from her family. She also attended a Junior College in 1936, which was rare for both women and people of color. I believe that her family's support of her writing and attending college empowered her to publish her work.
DeleteI read that as Brooks developed as an author, she began incorporating a specific language called "vernacular" in order to better connect with her people. This shows her loyalty, which throughout the poem is represented with the word "we".
DeleteI researched Brooks and found that her work peaked when she became a part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Through this association she learned direct information on the dissapointments of colored people and more on the unfair treatment. Also, being raised in a poor family opened her eyes to the minority's point of view. Through her involvement in society and her family dynamics as a child, Brooks was able to connect her work on a deeper level.
DeleteCarley- I agree that the caring and motivating qualities of her parents inspired Brooks to achieve what she perceived to be unachievable. Her mother was a teacher who enjoyed playing the piano(which takes dedication). Her father was a janitor who hoped to become a doctor. These are both admirable qualities which hepled kickstart Brooks career.
DeleteSkyleigh- I agree with you that her will to deviate from the average opinion and speak her mind contributed to her work of this poem. She speaks of rebellious kids who do whatever they can to refuse the given societal rules.
DeleteI find it very ironic that Brooks is an African American woman mocking her own dialect and culture, simply to get her point across more profusely.
DeleteTaylor- I agree that Brooks felt like somewhat of an outsider as an African American woman who was smart, because she is looked at as someone who should be revolting and breaking the law and making bad decisions in society.
DeleteSelin- I like how you took her childhood history and tied that into how she continues to live her life and write her pieces of literature and how that influences her voice.
DeleteThrough my research of the author I found that Brooks noticed the need for African American writers to write about their experiences as a minority. Brooks found this highly offensive and pushed to break the barrier of segregation in the writing community and wanted to influence all races with her writing. In "We Real Cool" there is no real indication of who these kids are. Running around town and hanging out in mature places, like a pool lounge, could relate to any teenager escaping their responsibilities.
DeleteSelin: I had also found that and noticed that significance. When changing schools at such a young age it's as though writing poetry was her only escape and true expression.
DeleteSelin- I found this very interesting and how it related to the poem, with moving school she never really experienced the adverse effects of peer pressure which I though the poem revolved around.
DeleteMackenzie- I really liked what you wrote, and it made me think of other pieces written about inequality and connected it to Uncle Tom's Cabin. Brooks really tried to get what she thought was right acknowledged.
DeleteBrooklyn - I felt the same way when I read the poem the first time. I find it interesting that you felt the same way! Embarking on the fact that the author is an African American really changes the perspective of this poem.
DeleteTaylor - This was interesting because society tells people they should not do things such as sing sin and drink gin, yet the group of kids do it. I wonder why they do if society tells them they shouldn't. Usually kids follow guidelines, but not this group of kids.
DeleteSelin - I believe that because the author switched schools so much that maybe this was meant to relay the message of why this group of kids rebelled against society.
DeleteAlyssa - I did not personally find anything about the authors hardships as she was growing up, such as poverty. I find it interesting that you found this information and connected it to the poem, and now that I see your connection, I agree with you.
DeleteGwendolyn Brooks had to work as a secretary to support herself while she developed as a poet. The fact that she had to support herself while she tried to make her work known showed that she was a very tough woman. Tough times allowed her to gain different perspectives on racial and societal differences.
DeleteCarley- I like that you tied her family to her work. I can see how her family's support allowed her to publish and kept her motivated.
DeleteMaddie- I don't think she is trying to mock her own culture and dialect, although she is very blunt she is only trying to state her beliefs on the actions within her community.
DeleteSelin- I also found in my research that Brooks attended three different high schools. I thought that was very interesting that instead of standing up for herself, she gave up more than once and transferred to a different school. It's very ironic since this poem shows her criticism of how prejudice against African Americans affects their behavior and personalities.
DeleteTaylor- I did not find in my research how she was inspired to write this poem. However, I find it extremely interesting and I think it inspired her because she wanted to really understand others and more importantly herself. She wanted to be able to overlook other people's comments, but in a more healthy way than demonstrated in the poem.
DeleteMackenzie: I also found that and thought it was very moving to her writing. It seems all odds were against her and she still persevered and was a success in the writing community.
DeleteGwendolyn Brooks lived in Chicago and began writing at an early age. She had to support herself by getting a job. I believe that this influenced the way she looked at the world. It changes the perspective of the poem, because she is looking down the the teenagers who take advantage of their future.
DeleteSelin- I agree with you, because after experiencing so many different school environments she probably had quite a few first hand accounts with prejudice.
DeleteMackenzie- I agree with you, and it is reflected in her work that she is a woman who will not be silenced, especially in this time period of discrimination.
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