Gwendolyn Brook's We Real Cool: Stay In School
“We Real Cool: Stay in School”
It was a Wednesday on the final week of senior year and the only thing happening in my classes was the exchanging of yearbooks. I had already gotten signatures from all of my closest friends, except one who hadn’t been at school the past two days; his name was Frank Gerrity. He was a childhood friend who was always known for being a trouble maker, so it wasn’t unusual for him to ditch. After not having seen him in any of the classes we had together, I decided to pay him a visit after school, since he didn’t live very far. As I was approaching his house, I noticed a police car parked outside with someone sitting in the back. It was Frank and he had just been arrested for taking a joyride in a stolen car with some guys who were “cool,” very much like the characters in Gwendolyn Brook’s poem, “We Real …show more content…
Cool,” which tells the story of seven rebellious dropouts who play pool at a bar and live a fast lifestyle full of crime. Brooks’ poem is an attempt to teach readers the importance of education, and the consequences that people who choose a life of crime must ultimately face; death. Brooks explores these themes through his use of rime, symbolism, imagery, and tone.
In the first stanza of the poem alone, “We real cool. We Left school.” Brooks exercises the uses of both rime and irony. As each word is a single syllable, it gives the poem faster rhythm, much like the fast life of someone who chooses a lifestyle of crime over education. He is suggesting that people who choose to leave school are living too fast for their own good. The first line is used to show reader’s the narrator’s ego, while the second quickly provides us with us with realization that these “cool” pool players are actually dropouts. Brooks is using irony to illustrate the idea that rebellion, and the desire to abandon education is commonly seen as a desirable and “cool” thing to do among the youth, when people who choose to drop out are actually harming themselves and not allowing themselves to live up to their full potential.
Brooks then goes on to list the crimes that the narrator his gang commit and makes use of sound in attempt to make the read a pleasurable experience while still delivering a powerful message.
An example of this can be seen in lines such as “Lurk late” and “Strike straight.” This use of alliteration gives the poem an essence of sound, almost like a song, which gives much more emphasis to the idea that the speaker believes he is “cool” for the foul acts they commit. The line “Strike straight” suggests that the gang commits perfect crimes and is therefore proud of getting away with them. Assonance can also be seen in each stanza of the poem with words such as “sin/gin” and “June/soon.”
After painting a “cool” picture of the speaker’s actions through a rhythmic sound, Brooks goes on to illustrate the ultimate consequences that one must face for such a lifestyle. Though the musical aspect of the poem creates a somewhat cheerful vibe, the poem ends with the two words “Die soon.” Brooks is attempting to imply that those who choose to live a carefree life of crime, such as the pool players, over a life of education is sure to live a short
one.
In short, while it may seem a long tedious task to go to school and receive and education, the long term benefits far outweigh the short-lived sensation of being “cool.” This style of this poem was written strategically to make an underlying message an enjoyable and interesting read. It is important for the youth to understand that the desire for freedom can only be achieved after one becomes educated and reaches his/her full potential. Works Cited
Brook, Gwendolyn. “We Real Cool.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 12th ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. 1948. Print.
It was a Wednesday on the final week of senior year and the only thing happening in my classes was the exchanging of yearbooks. I had already gotten signatures from all of my closest friends, except one who hadn’t been at school the past two days; his name was Frank Gerrity. He was a childhood friend who was always known for being a trouble maker, so it wasn’t unusual for him to ditch. After not having seen him in any of the classes we had together, I decided to pay him a visit after school, since he didn’t live very far. As I was approaching his house, I noticed a police car parked outside with someone sitting in the back. It was Frank and he had just been arrested for taking a joyride in a stolen car with some guys who were “cool,” very much like the characters in Gwendolyn Brook’s poem, “We Real …show more content…
Cool,” which tells the story of seven rebellious dropouts who play pool at a bar and live a fast lifestyle full of crime. Brooks’ poem is an attempt to teach readers the importance of education, and the consequences that people who choose a life of crime must ultimately face; death. Brooks explores these themes through his use of rime, symbolism, imagery, and tone.
In the first stanza of the poem alone, “We real cool. We Left school.” Brooks exercises the uses of both rime and irony. As each word is a single syllable, it gives the poem faster rhythm, much like the fast life of someone who chooses a lifestyle of crime over education. He is suggesting that people who choose to leave school are living too fast for their own good. The first line is used to show reader’s the narrator’s ego, while the second quickly provides us with us with realization that these “cool” pool players are actually dropouts. Brooks is using irony to illustrate the idea that rebellion, and the desire to abandon education is commonly seen as a desirable and “cool” thing to do among the youth, when people who choose to drop out are actually harming themselves and not allowing themselves to live up to their full potential.
Brooks then goes on to list the crimes that the narrator his gang commit and makes use of sound in attempt to make the read a pleasurable experience while still delivering a powerful message.
An example of this can be seen in lines such as “Lurk late” and “Strike straight.” This use of alliteration gives the poem an essence of sound, almost like a song, which gives much more emphasis to the idea that the speaker believes he is “cool” for the foul acts they commit. The line “Strike straight” suggests that the gang commits perfect crimes and is therefore proud of getting away with them. Assonance can also be seen in each stanza of the poem with words such as “sin/gin” and “June/soon.”
After painting a “cool” picture of the speaker’s actions through a rhythmic sound, Brooks goes on to illustrate the ultimate consequences that one must face for such a lifestyle. Though the musical aspect of the poem creates a somewhat cheerful vibe, the poem ends with the two words “Die soon.” Brooks is attempting to imply that those who choose to live a carefree life of crime, such as the pool players, over a life of education is sure to live a short
one.
In short, while it may seem a long tedious task to go to school and receive and education, the long term benefits far outweigh the short-lived sensation of being “cool.” This style of this poem was written strategically to make an underlying message an enjoyable and interesting read. It is important for the youth to understand that the desire for freedom can only be achieved after one becomes educated and reaches his/her full potential. Works Cited
Brook, Gwendolyn. “We Real Cool.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 12th ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. 1948. Print.