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…
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
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…
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