Tone Of We Real Cool
As the sentence suggests the poem “We real cool” is about teenagers who identify themselves as rebels. On the first read, the poem seems to be defiant statements made by black Americans. It has an element of bravery that seems defensible and almost desirable. There is a pride in the tone. Pride in rebelling the conventional ways of the society and disobeying several legal structures. They escape the drudgery and dullness of being in school thus opening many possibilities. There is however a change of tone at the end of the poem. “..Die soon..” almost suggests a regret. Their complacent attitude did more harm than good and the question arises, whom were they trying to kid with the desirability of their disorderly lives. Were they living in a bubble where they believed that by defying the rules of the society things would be set right? Or were they trying to fool people watching them by putting up a cool exterior while trying to hide their difficult lives.
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After re-reading it several elements of the poem gained clarity.
For example the word choices; the number seven at the beginning of the poem (“Seven at the Golden Shovel”) could signify the luck of the pool players while “golden” probably suggests their youthful arrogance. The poet uses several alliterations (“Lurk late, strike straight, sing sin, thin gin, jazz June”) to stress on their rebellious nature. The simplicity in the poem is blunt to the point of elaborateness. The vocabulary used is plain with phrases and words that are colloquial signifying youth. The syntax of the sentences and the grammar used however is quite strange. The enjambment intended is poorly executed with the sentence breaking at the very beginning, which annoyed me more than intriguing me. The tone of the poem is neither angry nor judgmental and it seems like the poet is making factual
statements.
On the third read after listening to an interview of Ms. Brooks, my whole perception seemed false. While trying to understand the poem, I tried exploring it at a depth, which was clearly unnecessary. Brooks wrote this poem as a matter of fact when she chanced upon a group of boys who instead of being in school were playing pool. She tried to walk a mile in their shoes and decided to write something she thought would be their emotions. What I had initially perceived as a racial response was in fact just an elderly woman’s perception of the youth at that time.
In conclusion Ms. Brooks poem has been analyzed in more ways that one. The poet herself does not provide an in depth explanation of the poem and accepts the alter meanings the audience come up with.
After re-reading it several elements of the poem gained clarity.
For example the word choices; the number seven at the beginning of the poem (“Seven at the Golden Shovel”) could signify the luck of the pool players while “golden” probably suggests their youthful arrogance. The poet uses several alliterations (“Lurk late, strike straight, sing sin, thin gin, jazz June”) to stress on their rebellious nature. The simplicity in the poem is blunt to the point of elaborateness. The vocabulary used is plain with phrases and words that are colloquial signifying youth. The syntax of the sentences and the grammar used however is quite strange. The enjambment intended is poorly executed with the sentence breaking at the very beginning, which annoyed me more than intriguing me. The tone of the poem is neither angry nor judgmental and it seems like the poet is making factual
statements.
On the third read after listening to an interview of Ms. Brooks, my whole perception seemed false. While trying to understand the poem, I tried exploring it at a depth, which was clearly unnecessary. Brooks wrote this poem as a matter of fact when she chanced upon a group of boys who instead of being in school were playing pool. She tried to walk a mile in their shoes and decided to write something she thought would be their emotions. What I had initially perceived as a racial response was in fact just an elderly woman’s perception of the youth at that time.
In conclusion Ms. Brooks poem has been analyzed in more ways that one. The poet herself does not provide an in depth explanation of the poem and accepts the alter meanings the audience come up with.