Gwendolyn Brooks Research Paper
Born on June 7, 1917, in Topeka, Kansas, moved to Chicago, Illinois at a young age. Spending most of her time writing books; Gwendolyn Brooks is a well known author and first ever African American to win a Pulitzer Prize. In 1939 Brooks had been married to Henry Lowington Blakely Jr. to which together made Henry and Nora, their two children. Unfortunately, in the same place she grew up, at the age of 83, Brooks died due to cancer in Chicago, Illinois on December 3, 2000. Brooks was buried at the Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois. ("Gwendolyn Brooks Biography")
Growing up, Brooks had attended three different high schools; Hyde Park High School; the all-black Wendell Phillips Academy High School; and the integrated Englewood High School. It was at these high schools were Brooks would experience hate due to her race, which helped her understand how different people thought, to which the knowledge would be later used in her stories. Brooks would begin her job as a writer after she finished studying at Wilson Junior College, in 1936. Within the early years of the 1960s, Brooks after establishing herself as a great writer, began to be a teacher for creative writing at the University of Wisconsin, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Columbia University and the Columbia College in …show more content…
Chicago.("Gwendolyn Brooks Biography") Ever since the age of 13, Brooks had been mesmerized by writing; she would write, stories, poems, ballads, free verse and sonnets, which she would submit to Chicago Defender(a newspaper company) to hopefully be published. Once she had been 16 years old, Brooks has had around 75 poems published. While Brooks worked on building herself as a poet, in order to support herself she was a secretary and her writing ended up being something she did on the side. Brooks alongside other African Americans, would participate in a poetry workshop managed by a prosperous white writer; known as Cunningham Stark and during this time Brooks would receive official recognition. It was in 1943, were Brooks would receive an award from the Midwestern Writers Conference for her writing. The first book of poetry Brooks has ever published, was in 1945 A Street in Bronzeville and happened to be an instant success, worthy of many honors such as the Guggenheim Fellowship.("Gwendolyn Brooks Biography")
Poem Analysis
The aspiring poem of Gwendolyn Brooks’s work; The ballad of Rudolph Reed is a direct, purposefully poem that is meant to reevaluate/educate the readers thoughts.
The Ballad of Rudolph Reed explores the story of Rudolph Reed and his family, that move to the much anticipated home that they always wanted. Many ideals are talked about within the poems such as how irrational it is when the source of hate is someone's race. The poem also talks about how people would cause harm and expect no repercussion for they thought nothing wrong of their actions. In addition to, the work of Brooks had effectively used terminology to symbolize and define
characters.
The non-irrelevant hate that African-Americans face is the main focus for Brooks when writing this poem. Brooks is aware that people are attacked purely because of their racial background and has decided to include “A neighbor [that] would look, with a yawning eye that squeezed into a slit, [..] “nigger--” his neighbors said.” towards the Reeds family that are no more equal to anyone else (line 29,30,56).
The main argument of this poem seems to be that causing harm to others solves nothing. It is seen in the poem that all violence had caused was more violence just because it is basic human nature to want to get revenge for being harmed by another. This circumstance is apparent throughout the whole poem as seen when, Reeds attacks the neighbors for attacking his family, the neighbors kill Reed for attacking back and it seems they may be a little foreshadowing coming from one of Reeds’s daughters, Mabel which “[...] [calls] herself the cause.”of her father's death (line 58). Perhaps to make up for what she blames herself on Mabel could very well respond to her father's death with more death. The most impactful word by far in this poem is the word “oaken” since the single word has so much use for the poem. At first glance the word “oaken” is used to describe the skin color of the Reeds family as they are all of African-American descent. However, the key to seeing the importance of using “oaken”, is when it is stated that the Reeds family “Oakened as they grew.”, truly revealing the symbolism of the word (line 4). After a session of brainstorming it seems why Brooks had chose to describe the family as “oaken” was not only state the heritage of the character but to tell any readers that are going through harassment, that they are all strong. This can be concluded because the word “oaken” as matter of fact refers to an oak tree, a well known species of plant life that is known for being grand and brawny. The exact strength of the oak tree is what Brooks wants her readers to associate themselves with.
To rehash, the great Gwendolyn Brooks is the author responsible for the creation of The Ballad of Rudolph Reed, a poem that covers the prejudice the african-american race have to do it. The poem also goes ahead and sends a message to any reader that, solving an issue through a brawl does not succeed. What makes this poem exciting is the spectacular vocabulary that speaks more to the reader to an extent more that substance.
Growing up, Brooks had attended three different high schools; Hyde Park High School; the all-black Wendell Phillips Academy High School; and the integrated Englewood High School. It was at these high schools were Brooks would experience hate due to her race, which helped her understand how different people thought, to which the knowledge would be later used in her stories. Brooks would begin her job as a writer after she finished studying at Wilson Junior College, in 1936. Within the early years of the 1960s, Brooks after establishing herself as a great writer, began to be a teacher for creative writing at the University of Wisconsin, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Columbia University and the Columbia College in …show more content…
Chicago.("Gwendolyn Brooks Biography") Ever since the age of 13, Brooks had been mesmerized by writing; she would write, stories, poems, ballads, free verse and sonnets, which she would submit to Chicago Defender(a newspaper company) to hopefully be published. Once she had been 16 years old, Brooks has had around 75 poems published. While Brooks worked on building herself as a poet, in order to support herself she was a secretary and her writing ended up being something she did on the side. Brooks alongside other African Americans, would participate in a poetry workshop managed by a prosperous white writer; known as Cunningham Stark and during this time Brooks would receive official recognition. It was in 1943, were Brooks would receive an award from the Midwestern Writers Conference for her writing. The first book of poetry Brooks has ever published, was in 1945 A Street in Bronzeville and happened to be an instant success, worthy of many honors such as the Guggenheim Fellowship.("Gwendolyn Brooks Biography")
Poem Analysis
The aspiring poem of Gwendolyn Brooks’s work; The ballad of Rudolph Reed is a direct, purposefully poem that is meant to reevaluate/educate the readers thoughts.
The Ballad of Rudolph Reed explores the story of Rudolph Reed and his family, that move to the much anticipated home that they always wanted. Many ideals are talked about within the poems such as how irrational it is when the source of hate is someone's race. The poem also talks about how people would cause harm and expect no repercussion for they thought nothing wrong of their actions. In addition to, the work of Brooks had effectively used terminology to symbolize and define
characters.
The non-irrelevant hate that African-Americans face is the main focus for Brooks when writing this poem. Brooks is aware that people are attacked purely because of their racial background and has decided to include “A neighbor [that] would look, with a yawning eye that squeezed into a slit, [..] “nigger--” his neighbors said.” towards the Reeds family that are no more equal to anyone else (line 29,30,56).
The main argument of this poem seems to be that causing harm to others solves nothing. It is seen in the poem that all violence had caused was more violence just because it is basic human nature to want to get revenge for being harmed by another. This circumstance is apparent throughout the whole poem as seen when, Reeds attacks the neighbors for attacking his family, the neighbors kill Reed for attacking back and it seems they may be a little foreshadowing coming from one of Reeds’s daughters, Mabel which “[...] [calls] herself the cause.”of her father's death (line 58). Perhaps to make up for what she blames herself on Mabel could very well respond to her father's death with more death. The most impactful word by far in this poem is the word “oaken” since the single word has so much use for the poem. At first glance the word “oaken” is used to describe the skin color of the Reeds family as they are all of African-American descent. However, the key to seeing the importance of using “oaken”, is when it is stated that the Reeds family “Oakened as they grew.”, truly revealing the symbolism of the word (line 4). After a session of brainstorming it seems why Brooks had chose to describe the family as “oaken” was not only state the heritage of the character but to tell any readers that are going through harassment, that they are all strong. This can be concluded because the word “oaken” as matter of fact refers to an oak tree, a well known species of plant life that is known for being grand and brawny. The exact strength of the oak tree is what Brooks wants her readers to associate themselves with.
To rehash, the great Gwendolyn Brooks is the author responsible for the creation of The Ballad of Rudolph Reed, a poem that covers the prejudice the african-american race have to do it. The poem also goes ahead and sends a message to any reader that, solving an issue through a brawl does not succeed. What makes this poem exciting is the spectacular vocabulary that speaks more to the reader to an extent more that substance.