We Real Cool Analysis

Gwendolyn Brooks captures the reality of America’s youth with her poem, “We Real Cool.” Growing up in Chicago, Brooks was inspired to write “We Real Cool” while catching a glimpse of a group of teenagers playing pool during school hours (On “We Real Cool”). The poem portrays a group of young people dodging the responsibilities of life in order to do whatever is considered “cool” to them and their peers. The poem allows the audience to make their own judgements about the pool players, because Brooks gives no opinion. However, the last line of the poem gives the audience the impression that the pool players’ actions are wrong because it shows that their destiny is an early death date. Brooks made the speaker of the poem to be defiant, since he is rebelling against what is expected of the youth by “lurking late” and “striking straight” (3-4) in order to give the audience a realistic view of teenaged dropouts.
To begin with, the poem is structured in eight short and concise lines. Each word of the poem is only one syllable, and may indicate that the speaker is not educated. It is

However, there are clear signs of inspiration from Langston Hughes’ jazzy rhythm in poems such as, “The Weary Blues” (Gross). “We Real Cool” also has a jazzy rhythm when being read out loud, possibly because of the three beats in every line excluding the first and last line. In contrast of this upbeat rhythm, the message of the poem says a lot about the youth and society. Brooks shows how some young people will go through great lengths to defy society and “live for the moment.” She however, does not determine if this is good or bad, but the audience is left with the impression that defying society’s expectations can put people at risks. Even today, it can be difficult for some people to show off their individuality and be independent without running into risks that may affect their lives