we real cool

“We Real Cool” analysis Poets use a wide variety of tactics in order to express feelings or meanings in their poetry. A poem’s subject matters and the use of literary devices helps to enhance the audiences’ experiences. In “We Real Cool,” by Gwendolyn Brooks, one can almost visualize a cool snapping his fingers to the beat, while reading this poem. This poem starts off with two lines of background describing. It is written by an outside observer watching the boys at the pool when she passes by. Her powerful poem uses only a few descriptive words to conjure up a gang of rebellious teens. Brooks employs a modern approach to the English language and her choice of slang creates a powerful jazz mood. Although all of the lines are very short and it is only an eight-line poem, the sound on each stop stands out. Brooks uses different kinds of rhymes to craft an effective sound and image of the life she perceives. In this short poem, Brooks attempts to express the irony of certain “cool” actions and decisions. The audience is may encountered into the poet’s personal opinions in “We Real Cool” as Brooks tells the tale of pool players’ lifestyle, and this lifestyle’s shortcomings. The theme of this poem is effectively enhanced by Brooks’ successful use of poetic devices throughout her poem. In her poem, “We Real Cool, Brooks illustrates the idea that although certain decisions may yield a moment of satisfaction, wisdom and longevity are what create a happy individual in a long run through her use of rhyme, repetition and alliteration. Brooks’ selection of rhymes helps to set the rhythm of a jazz mood. Several rhymes provide a rhythmical tool for generating a beat to her tale. Her repetition of rhyming words close together adds unity to the poem. By placing the one syllable words close together: “cool / school” (1-2) and “sin / gin” (5-6), it emphasizes each word. They are exact rhyme that they spell the same and also sound the same. Not only exact rhyme, but also slant