What is the meaning of the poem we Real Cool?
Feb 10, 2020 · “We Real Cool” Setting “We Real Cool” is set in a pool hall called the “Golden Shovel.” Over the course of the poem, seven pool players …
What is the meaning of the last line of we Real Cool?
“We Real Cool” is a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks, first published in her 1960 collection The Bean Eaters. The poem describes a group of teenagers hanging out outside of a pool hall. It imagines these teenagers as rebels who proudly defy convention and authority—and who will likely pay for their behavior with their lives.
Who is the author of we Real Cool?
We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks. ‘ We Real Cool’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a four stanza, eight-line poem that has been separated into repeating couplets. The poem is quite short and makes use of the minimal number of words to get the speaker ’s point across. Each line, except for the first and last is made up of three words, the last of ...
How many stanzas are in we Real Cool?
The poem is set in a pool hall, which we wouldn't necessarily know except that Brooks has said so in interviews. (You can listen to one such interview on Poets.org.) Pool halls are still popular, especially in big cities, but they're not as popular as they used to be. Furthermore, what does the title We Real Cool mean? The title of the poem is “The pool players, seven at the golden
Where is the setting of We Real Cool?
As we read and hear "We Real Cool," our imaginations are set on fire.
Who is the we in the poem We Real Cool?
What time period is We Real Cool?
Brooks wrote “We Real Cool” at the end of the 1950s. To many, this decade, especially the period of eight years that contained the presidential administration of Dwight Eisenhower, is remembered as being a time of bland harmony.
What is the purpose of the poem We Real Cool?
What does We Jazz June mean in We Real Cool?
What is the rhythm of the poem We Real Cool?
What does sing sin mean in We Real Cool?
What does strike straight mean in We Real Cool?
What is the effect of the repetition of the word we Throughout the poem We Real Cool?
What figurative language is used in We Real Cool?
What is the poem "We Real Cool" about?
Rebellion, Youth, and Mortality. “We Real Cool” is a poem about rebellion— and its costs. The poem is spoken by a group of seven teenagers hanging out outside a pool hall. These teens present themselves as rebels who skip school, stay out late, and party hard.
When was "We Real Cool" written?
It presents a poet in transition. By the time she published “We Real Cool” in her 1960 collection, The Bean Eaters, she was one of the most famous poets in the United States.
What does Brooks invent for "We Real Cool"?
Instead, Brooks invents her own structure for “We Real Cool,” and she does so to capture the rhythms of the pool players’ speech. In line 7, they note that they “ Jazz June ,” and the poem itself is fittingly close to jazz in its rhythms.
How does Brooks use internal rhyme?
By using internal rhyme instead of end rhyme, Brooks shifts and syncopates the rhythm of the poem. That is, she makes it enticingly offbeat. Instead of ending with a firm, definitive rhyme, each line ends with a sharp, surprising enjambment —the word “we” gets isolated, cut off from the rest of the sentence.
What is the relationship between the poem and the rebellious people?
The poem thus has a complicated, ambivalent relationship with the rebellious people it describes. On the one hand, the poem seems to take joy in their transgressive attitudes. But on the other hand, it meditates with pathos and sincerity on the way that youthful rebellion can cut lives short.
What does June represent in the poem?
This symbolic reading of "June" is strengthened by Brooks's own comments on the poem (available in the "Resources" section of this guide). In interviews, she argues that, for her, "June" is a symbol of complacency and comfort: it represents people who go with the flow, who don't rebel against society.
How many syllables are in a poem?
Each of the poem’s sentences is exactly three syllables long; all of them start with “We.”. All of the poem’s lines—except the last—are enjambed. The poem is written in couplets, but the rhymes are internal: “cool” and “school” are perfect rhymes, for example, but they fall inside the line, not at its end.
Who wrote "We are real cool"?
Summary. ‘We Real Cool’ by Gwendolyn Brooks describes the lives of seven pool players who lurk in the night, don’t go to school, and plan on dying soon. The poem begins with the speaker stating that he and his friends are “cool.”.
How many lines are there in "We Real Cool"?
‘ We Real Cool’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a four stanza, eight -line poem that has been separated into repeating couplets. The poem is quite short and makes use of the minimal number of words to get the speaker ’s point across. Each line, except for the first and last is made up of three words, the last of which is “We.” This creates the most basic of rhymes. It is a constant in the poem until one gets to the final line. It drops off after the phrase “Die soon.” The ending mimicking death itself.
What is the second part of the poem "Die Soon"?
The second part of the title is “shovel. ”. A shovel immediately brings to mind work and labor, the opposite of what occurs at a pool hall. After finishing the poem and encountering the line “Die soon,” it is impossible not to relate the shovel to grave digging.
What does the next line tell the reader about the men?
The grammatical structure of the sentence tells the readers something about the men. The next line informs the reader that they chose to leave school. It is unclear whether they have left school for good or just for the day. Either way, it was something they chose to do.
What does "sing sin" mean in the stanza?
Here it is stated that they “Sing sin.” This is meant to describe the way they celebrate their own (and others) misdeeds. They like to participate in things that are deemed sinful and they do not feel about their choices. One should consider the statement made by Brooks at this point alluding to the false confidence she saw these speakers as having. The sins are unknown, but could relate to the possibly disreputable pool hall they are spending their time in. Gambling and drinking indulgence were not uncommon.
What are the themes of We Real Cool?
From the poem We Real Cool various themes can be identified. The first theme is identity. This is evident from the repetition of the word we throughout the poem to show that the boys have a group identity . Another theme from this poem is pride . This is can be seen from the young pool players who appear to take pride in their uncouth behavior. Mortality is also a theme portrayed in this poem. However, it is not clear why the speaker thinks that the young pool players will die soon. This might be probably due to the poets perception that they are enjoying sin.
What are the poetic devices in "We Real Cool"?
We Real Cool displays a diverse range of poetic devices that supports the main themes. The poet uses a combination of rhyme, assonance, pattern as well as alliteration to express the theme. With the use of a sarcastic tone, the speaker enforces the poems theme while at the same time using a patterned repetition to make it clear that something opposite is being implied by the words. Repetition is also evident throughout the poem with the use of the word we to imply a situation of momentary satisfaction. The poetic devices have been used by the speaker to bring out the poems message as they reflect the feelings and meaning.
Who wrote "We real cool"?
STUDENT NAME PROFESSOR CLASS DATE We Real Cool: Poetry Explication “We Real Cool” is a poem written by Gwendolyn Brooks in 1959, and published in her book The Bean Eaters (We Real Cool, pg 1). A simple and light poem, “We Real Cool” is vague enough to allow readers to visualize their own characters and setting, but specific enough to keep a consistent rebellious image. Brook’s attitude toward the characters is undecided, as the tone is neither tragic nor victorious, but more so just balanced and neutral. “We Real Cool” is written from the perspective of the involved fictional characters.
How many sentences are in "We Real Cool"?
We are not presented with any specific character ethnicities or backgrounds, nor year or time, but we are provided a fictional setting of a place called The Golden Shovel. Containing only ten sentences, “We Real Cool” begins with the line, The Pool Players. With this line, we are able to imagine the type of characters we will be following.
What is the first line in the second stanza of the poem?
The first line to begin the second stanza is, We real cool. This not only states the title of the poem, but also sets the intellectual level of the seven pool players. Grammatically correct, but more along the lines of slang, the last word of this sentence begins the rhyme scheme that will follow. The second half of this stanza is, We left school. This is an obvious statement of action, but leaves the reader questioning whether they left a not-yet-dismissed school day or a school day that had come to an end. As a third option, the reader might also assume they left school for good.
What does "lurry late" mean in the poem?
With this line we can assume the verb lurk is meant to represent a much less gracious movement, an almost monstrous, but comical way of walking. In the poem’s consistent three word lines, the word late is included to end the sentence. This gives the reader an idea of when the poem can possibly take place within the time of day. Although it may not be a literal statement regarding the time of day, as it can also translate to a rebellious activity the characters wish to point out.
What is the poem "We Real Cool" about?
Rebellion, Youth, and Mortality. “We Real Cool” is a poem about rebellion— and its costs. The poem is spoken by a group of seven teenagers hanging out outside a pool hall. These teens present themselves as rebels who skip school, stay out late, and party hard.
Why does Brooks use repetition in the poem?
He uses them as pauses in the poem. Brooks utilizes repetition of the word "we" not only as a pause but to show the togetherness that this small group has. However, in the end they all die alone. Proving that ones decisions shouldn't be influence by what others think, or what others want.
By Gwendolyn Brooks
Brooks once said that she was thinking of a certain pool hall in her hometown of Chicago when she wrote this poem ( source ). As we read and hear "We Real Cool," our imaginations are set on fire. We close our eyes and, suddenly, we are in a neighborhood of bungalows and old, brick buildings.
A Pool Hall in the South Side of Chicago, the late 1950s
Brooks once said that she was thinking of a certain pool hall in her hometown of Chicago when she wrote this poem ( source ). As we read and hear "We Real Cool," our imaginations are set on fire. We close our eyes and, suddenly, we are in a neighborhood of bungalows and old, brick buildings.
