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Jessica Lawrence

Ms. Jacobs

Writing Freshman Composition 132

30 October 2017

Real Cool

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Life as an adolescent is a thrilling yet dangerous game, especially for young black males in the Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

late 1950s. In We Real Cool,. by Gwendolyn Brooks, a bold and powerful poem that skillfully reflects Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

the rebellious attitudes and typical deviant actions of that eras African American youth. Some musical Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

influeninfluentscers of the 1950s were said to be the growing popularity of a brand newbrand-new style Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman
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of music call Cool Jazz, Doo-Wop, and Rock n RollN Roll. Artist like Chuck Barry,MuddyBarry, Muddy
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Waters, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley had everyone wanting to celebrate life to the fullest, despite the Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

ongoing racial tension. With only a short 10 lines, the two speakers of this poem both capture the essence

of the cool kid or rebel kid attitude and perceived lifestyle with the strong yet subtle usage of rhythm

and tone.

The subtitle of the poem begins with TheThe Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel. The Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

first speakers of this poem are to be the seven pool players themselves. We real Cool. We Left

SchoolSchool (line 3 and 4) the way this poem is structured, the lines of the poem could reflect their Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

own inner thoughtsthoughts, or the beautiful rhythmic nature could even be read as a motto they may use Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

to fuel eternal bonding of their gang. Together they spend their days skipping school or dropped out to

playto play pool, to stay out late being rebellious We/ lurk late. We strike straight (line 5 and 6). Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman
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Together they live each day as if they have no sense of repercussion We/ Sing Sin. We Thin Gin. (line 7
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and 8) and yet they seem fully aware of their short life expectancy We/ Jazz June. We Die Soon. (line 9 Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

and 10) whether because of the dangerous lifestyle they chose to live or because during these times Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

African American males wasnt known to survive long due to the injustice and prejudice of the era.

The second speaker of this poem, is the poet herself Gwendolyn Brooks or general

onlookers.Theonlookers. The viewpoint is as if they are looking from the outside in, narrating their Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

thoughts. The usage of We in the poem can be seen equal to meaning the young, the misguided, the

Cool kids.Thekids. The inspiration for the poem was said to come from when MsMs. Brooks was Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman
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casually strolling in her community, and passed by a pool hall and seen a group of young boys hanging

out. Instead of wondering why these boys were not in school, gaining an education, she pondered II Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

wonder how they feel about themselves?. Even though slavery was signed to be ended in 1863 with the

Emancipation Proclamation, there were still traces of blacks still being enslaved until the 1940s. By the

late 1950s, you can easily say this is the time where African Americans, for the first time felt actually

freefree to do somewhat as they pleased, to have the chance to actually be something more than a slave. Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

SoSo, it comes as no surprise, thatsurprise, that some African Americans got seduced into living the fast Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman
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life. Seven at the Golden Shovel. We Real Cool. . It would seem that the narrator, or the onlooker may
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of understood the thrill of the the Golden lifestyle butlifestyle but, ultimately knew that in the end, Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

that particular way of life would result in a ill-fated death, with the ominous useageusage of the word Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman
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Shovel. Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

Brooks use of street language and the natural rhythm that develops within the piece, created the

main distinguished jazzy upbeat tone throughout the poem. This poem has multiple speakers, and each

speaker has their own unique tone of voice for the piece. The tone the Pool Players had was one of

pridefulness, almost arrogant in their rebellion, whereas, the onlookers had more of a sarcastic, judge-y

almost mocking tone as they observed the lifestyle, but they both share the same underlying feel of

bittersweet and regret once the poem comes to its chilling end with with We Die Soon .. Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman
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Despite this poem being published in 19560, the fact that this poem still reflects the attitude of Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"
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young males and females of todays era, amazes me. Gwendolyn Brooks delivers a straightforward, bold

insight a into two worlds with her short yet powerful poem. She managed to get us inside the thoughts Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman

and attitudes of the misguided cool kids and the judgemental onlookers, with just a few words, and left us

with a powerful message that living the fast life will result in your life ending just as fast.