"We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Breakdown of the poem:
1. The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel.
  1. We real cool. We Left school. We
    1. Lurk late. We Strike straight. We
      1. Sing sin. We Thin gin. We
        Jazz June. We Die soon.
        ‘Jazz June’ is not meant to be taken with a sexual connotation. Brooks has said it’s a reference to the youths going against the authority/government/etc. See video.
        Stanza 4
        Their lives are a joyful expression of sin and rebellion. ‘Thin gin’ could refer to just their heavy drinking habit or might imply their lack of wealth. They can only afford thin gin and not any better liquor.
        Stanza 3
      2. They stay around places late at night, especially the pool hall. They don’t have anywhere else they need to be.
      3. Stanza 2
    2. It is implied that part of the coolness of the pool players is due to their dropout status.
    3. Stanza 1
  2. Subtitle; description of the scene.
Gwendolyn Brooks, b.1917 d. 2000
1. She was born in Topeka, Kansas; moved to Chicago when she was young.
  1. She began publishing poems in newspapers at the age of 13.
    1. She was the first African American author to win the Pulitzer Prize (Poetry; 1950).
      1. She was the first African American woman to serve as poetry consultant for the Library of Congress.
        She was once the poet laureate for the state of Illinois.
        She described her poetic style as “folksy narrative,” but she dabbled in many different forms.
        Her later poetry (i.e., from 1960 onwards) heavily focused on the Civil Rights Movement, politics, and the African American experience.
2. Author Background
Background of the Poem
1. Published in Brooks' 3rd volume of poetry, titled "The Bean Eaters" (1960); although, it was written in 1959.
  1. Lauded as one of the greatest examples of "jazz poetry".
    1. Brooks was inspired to write the poem after seeing a pool hall full of young boys after she was walking in her Chicago neighborhood.
      1. She tried to embody the views they had about themselves and their takes on life in general through the poem.
      2. The “we” at the end of every line, according to Brooks, is meant to be recited “softly and swiftly” to convey the questioning tone of the boys.
        Here is a recording of Brooks reciting "We Real Cool" with a small explanation in the beginning (well worth the watch).
Analysis of the Poem
1. Structure
  1. 4 stanzas (+ subtitle)
    1. 2 rhyming lines per stanza
      1. Very simple; the structure of the poem reflects Brooks' focus on rhythm and meter.
        When read aloud, each line* has 1 soft beat (the word "we") and 2 hard beats (ex. "Left school", "Sing sin".
        *lines 2 & 8 are exceptions
2. Perspective
  1. This poem is written from the perspective of the Pool Players mentioned at the beginning in the subtitle.
    1. Brooks also gives a location for this poem: The Golden Shovel (presumably the name of the pool hall).
      1. Pool halls were considered by some in the 50s & 60s to be "bad places" where the "bad kids" hung out.
3. Poetic Devices
  1. Syntax
    1. The syntax, or grammar, of this poem uses African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
      1. This is a recognized dialect that has been developed in African American communities throughout the United States.
        “We real cool” omits the verb (are) that is used in Standard English.
        The result is a musical quality to the poem.
  2. Rhythm
    1. 3-beat rhythm; 1 soft beat, 2 hard.
      1. The three-beat rhythm is reinforced by the nonstandard grammar used in this poem.
        James D. Sullivan describes a feeling of energy and aggressiveness from this rhythm.
  3. Alliteration
    1. Brooks uses an alliterative pattern to emphasize the strong beats in the poem.
      1. “Strike straight”
        “Sing sin”
        “Lurk late”
Themes of "We Real Cool"
1. Rebellion
  1. Brooks stated that the pool players’ rebellious actions are a fight against the establishment.
    1. Everything that the characters do is an act of defiance against what is expected of them.
2. Youth
  1. The pool players described are all young enough to be recent dropouts.
    1. This entire poem sums up the whole of their lives; they inevitably will die soon due to their reckless, youthful carelessness.
      1. Their youth is fleeting, but if they do ‘die soon’ then it will be eternal.
3. Uncertainty
  1. Brooks describes these pool players as not really having a well-defined sense of who they are; however, they do have some awareness of their own importance.
    1. They are very boastful and prideful, despite their uncertainty in life.

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"We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

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