A Brief Biography Of Gwendolyn Brooks

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“Poet—this one word describes every cell of Gwendolyn Brooks's being. It was always poetry—from her Chicago childhood to her 1950 Pulitzer Prize to her awakening social consciousness to her Illinois Poet Laureate status and through all the other honors and awards. It was always poetry—and few writers besides Brooks can speak volumes with so few words (“Brooks, Gwendolyn (Elizabeth)”). On June 7th, 1917, in Topeka, Kansas, Gwendolyn Brooks was born. She was the daughter of a Keziah Wims Brooks and David Anderson Brooks, a school teacher and a janitor. After marrying, her parents relocated to South Chicago, where Gwendolyn spent her childhood as well as her adulthood. As a poet, Gwendolyn was influenced by her neighborhood in Southern Chicago, influenced by what was going on in her life and around her. Gwendolyn’s poetry spoke about the everyday lives of African Americans, urban culture, as well as spoke about issues regarding race and gender. “Brooks consistently makes of vital importance all facets of black life, depicts black people as subjects, and captures the events of the past, the concerns of the present, and the promise of the future as she harnesses the interconnectedness of life and the unity of all worlds --- the living, dead and unborn” (Brooks, Gwendolyn (1917-2000)). Growing up, Gwendolyn’s home life, her family life was good, despite her family not being very “wealthy.” It’s said that Brooks “remembers a loving family atmosphere throughout her childhood” (“Brooks, Gwendolyn (Elizabeth)”). Though Gwendolyn had a good home life, her time in school was different. Throughout her school years, she never really quite fit in. This is mainly because of the way that Gwendolyn looked. She received criticism from peers of her ... ... middle of paper ... ... Encyclopedia of Women’s Biography, “one of the most influential poets of the twentieth century”, and during her lifetime she wrote poetry that influenced others but also taught lessons, raised awareness on important issues. Gwendolyn’s poetry spoke about the everyday lives of African Americans, urban culture, as well as spoke about issues regarding race and gender and she did it to the best of her ability. She had a unique style of writing that was different yet, still literally correct. At the age of eighty three she died, in her home in Chicago on December 3rd, 2000. Brooks is a poet that will always be remembered for the great work that she did. From writing poetry, to being a hands-on part of the community, educating the youth, as well as people of all ages around the world. Gwendolyn Brooks will always be remembered as an important figure in the poetry world.

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