Gwendolyn Brooks Essay - 1061 Words

Gwendolyn Brooks- A Critical Analysis of Her Work nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Gwendolyn Brooks is the female poet who has been most responsive to changes in the black community, particularly in the community’s vision of itself. The first African American to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize; she was considered one of America’s most distinguished poets well before the age of fifty. Known for her technical artistry, she has succeeded in forms as disparate as Italian terza rima and the blues. She has been praised for her wisdom and insight into the African Experience in America. Her works reflect both the paradises and the hells of the black people of the world. Her writing is objective, but her characters speak for themselves. Although the†¦show more content†¦The three round O sounds in the first line are a mouthful, and create an almost whispery quality that is reminiscent of the worn quality of the people. Dinner is a casual affair is a line with soft vowel sounds, which are easier to swallow than the long sounds of t he first line. This coincides once again with the implications of the words. The first line paints almost a dreary picture, while the second adds an air of lightness. These vowel tones segue into a more caustic series of consonant combinations in the rest of the stanza. Tin flatware imitates the sound of the forks and spoons hitting the ‘plain creaking wood’. The repetition of ‘plain’ introduces a pattern of repetition that will appear throughout the poem. A relief from the biting consonant tones of the last two lines comes with an almost cooing first line of the second stanza. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The line Two who are Mostly Good allows the reader to dig for meaning. Brooks has encouraged young writers to allow for interpretation of their writing, and this is a perfect example of her own advice. The internal capitalization of Mostly Good is somewhat confusing. In a recording by the author the words are not emphasized. Rather, one can assume that the words are capitalized not for auditory emphasis, but for their important meaning. Brooks seems to be making the statement that no one is completely good, but does notShow MoreRelatedGwendolyn Brooks s The Mother1212 Words   |  5 Pages Gwendolyn Brooks is a famous, African American poetess who is famous for making a social commentary upon the urban society in which she lives. Clearly seen in three of her more popular poems, â€Å"the mother†, â€Å"a song in the front yard†, and â€Å"What shall I give my children? Who are poor?†, Brooks uses the struggles of impoverished motherhood to comment on the stymied lives of adult black women. This is obviously evident in her use of the tone of hopelessness, which transcends all three poems in differingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Gwendolyn Brooks 1030 Words   |  5 Pagesstop?† (â€Å"Gwendolyn† BrainyQuote.com) Gwendolyn Brooks, born in 1917 in Kansas grew up with her father, David Anderson Brooks and her mother, Keziah Wims Brooks. Although born in Kansas, Gwendolyn was raised in Illinois (Shor). Throughout her life she dealt with real issues and confronted them within her writing. Her thoughts and poetry would continue to be relev ant for decades, even as time goes on, the world still remains a broken place. â€Å"The Brooks household was a happy one, and Gwendolyn thrivedRead MoreGwendolyn Brooks As A Poet2100 Words   |  9 PagesGwendolyn Brooks was born in Topeka, Kansas on June 7, 1917, to her parents David and Keziah Brooks, after her birth, the Brooks’ decided to move the family to the South Side of Chicago. Where Brooks grew up and lived the rest of her life there, there Brooks would experience racial prejudice in school. The young poet found comfort in reading and writing, which her parents actively encouraged Brooks’ mother declared to her, that she is going to be a poet. Brooks published her first poem EventideRead MoreWe Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks532 Words   |  2 Pagespoem â€Å"We Real Cool†, written by Gwendolyn Brooks, is about a group of seven young boys who abandoned school to live the street life. They can’t wait to live a fun carefree life, drinking, partying and ditching all responsibility. Throughout this poem, Brooks is sending a clear message to her reader with the use of rhyme and imagery she creates a lasting impression showing that dropping out of school in order to embrace the street life amounts to nothing in the end. Brooks begins her poem with seven boysRead More Brooks, Gwendolyn Essay example623 Words   |  3 PagesBrooks, Gwendolyn Poet, writer. Born June 7, 1917, in Topeka, Kansas. Throughout most of the twentieth century, Gwendolyn Brooks was a lyrical chronicler of the black urban experience in America. In 1950, she became the first African-American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize. Brooks grew up on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. She began writing poetry as a young girl, and by the age of 16 had begun publishing her poems regularly in The Chicago Defender. She attended the Woodrow Wilson JuniorRead MoreGwendolyn Brooks : Poetry And Poetry2960 Words   |  12 PagesGwendolyn Brooks Poets and poetry surround us in our everyday lives . From Langston Hughes to Phyllis Wheatley. One that is commonly known is Gwendolyn Brooks. Brooks is highly recognized in the poetry world especially for being the first black female poet to win the Pulitzer Prize. In regards to Brooks’ poetry it is no disappointment for her words are heart wrenching and thought provoking. Brooks focuses on the struggle of African Americans and sheds light on the poverty and issues they go throughRead More Gwendolyn Brooks We Real Cool Essay1347 Words   |  6 PagesGwendolyn Brooks We Real Cool The poem We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks is a stream of the thoughts of poor inner city African-Americans who have adopted a hoodlum lifestyle. Though many can have different interpretations of this poem, it is fair to look at the life and career or the works and influences of Gwendolyn Brooks. The life and art of the black American poet, Gwendolyn Brooks, began on June 7, 1917 when she was born in Topeka, Kansas. She was the first child of Keziah CorineRead MoreAnalysis Of Gwendolyn Brooks s Kitchenette Building 1216 Words   |  5 Pagesare usually the ones that are most likely to be remembered. Our society is still connected to the past through time-stained poems that hold the same message to us as they did years ago—but whether or not this is a good thing varies. I chose Gwendolyn Brooks’ â€Å"kitchenette building† to recite and analyze because its message still resonates in today’s society—that the poor cannot afford to have dreams. There are still people living in poverty today who cannot afford to do just that—who want to butRead MoreThe Message of Gwendolyn Brooks We Real Cool536 Words   |  3 PagesThe Message of Gwendolyn Brooks We Real Cool We Real Cool is a short, yet powerful poem by Gwendolyn Brooks that sends a life learning message to its reader. The message Brooks is trying to send is that dropping out of school and roaming the streets is in fact not cool but in actuality a dead end street. Brooks conveys her message in an ironic manner, which is presented in the title of the poem. Before actually reading the 10 line poem the first thing that grabs the readers attentionRead MoreAnalysis Of Gwendolyn Brooks s Lights And Shadows 861 Words   |  4 PagesGwendolyn brooks was born in Topeka, Kansas. Her family moved to Chicago during the great migration when Brooks was six weeks old. Her first poem was published when she was 13 and at the age of 17, she already had a series of poems published in the poetry column â€Å"Lights and shadows† in the Chicago defender newspaper. . After working for The NAACP, she began to write poems that focus on urban poor blacks. Those poems were later published as a collection in 1945. The collection was titled A Street