Gwendolyn Brooks: An African American Poet

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Gwendolyn Brooks’ did not let her hurdles in life slow her down. In fact, Brooks’ used her obstacles to her advantage, and sprinted towards the finish line. Gwendolyn faced financial struggles, and limited opportunities due to her racial background. However, Brooks’ achieved many accomplishments and used her African American heritage to become one of America’s best poetic authors. Gwendolyn Brooks has said that her poetry was written for blacks and about blacks, yet any person of any race can relate to the universal themes portrayed in her pieces. Gwendolyn Brooks’ lived a life full of warm relationships and happy memories. On June 7th, 1917, David and Keziah Brooks welcomed their first child, Gwendolyn Brooks, into the world. Despite being born in Topeka, Kansa, Gwendolyn considered herself a “Chicagoan;” Brooks’ family moved to Chicago shortly after Gwendolyn was born. The Brooks family was financially restricted, but according to Kenny Jackson Williams, they filled the financial gap with “warm interpersonal relationships”. Gwendolyn attended the leading white school in her hometown, Hyde Park High School. Later on, Gwendolyn transferred to Wendell Phillips High School, which was an all black school. With the drop in racial segregation, the two high schools integrated into Englewood High School. Gwendolyn graduated Wilson Jr. College in 1936. The constant transferring of schools gave Gwendolyn insight on racial dynamics in urban life. In 1938, Gwendolyn Brooks married Henry Blakely. Together, they had two children; Henry Jr. was born in 1940 and Nora was born in 1951. Regarding Gwendolyn Brooks’ literature lifetime, she was very successful. In 1930, Gwendolyn published her first poem, Eventide, in the American Childh... ... middle of paper ... ... On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 May 2014 . Melhem, D. H. "A Street in Bronzeville." Gwendolyn Brooks: Poetry and the Heroic Voice, (Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1987): pp. 37-39. Quoted as "The Queen's Themes" in Harold Bloom, ed. Gwendolyn Brooks, Bloom's Major Poets. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2002. (Updated 2007.) Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 May 2014 . Williams, Kenny Jackson. "Gwendolyn Brooks' Life and Career." Modern American Poetry. The Oxford Companion to African-American Literature, 1997. Web. 06 May 2014. .

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