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We Real Cool Analysis

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The poem “We Real Cool,” written by Gwendolyn Brooks in the late 1950s. The poem set in a popular pool hall called the Golden Shovel, in this time era pool halls and the Civil Rights Movement were very popular. The Civil Rights Movement was a movement where desegregation, protest, and social identity was an issue. In the poem, Brooks uses literary devices such as connotation, tone, alliteration, rhymes, and repetition to give us a quick view into the rebellious lives of seven young boys who all seem to have one thing in common-- the struggle of social identity. To begin the poem, Brooks begins the poem by informing the readers who the poem is about and where it takes place. “The Pool Players… Seven at the Golden Shovel.” (891). She begins with this introduction to set the tone for the poem by giving the readers the setting; pool halls known for its dim lights, smoke, and alcohol. Seven is considered a lucky number to those who gamble just like the seven pool players. The number seven can also a reference in the Bible as the number of perfection and completeness. Shovel from the Golden Shovel can, in my opinion, refers to digging a grave. She sets the tone for the poem with the introduction of the poem by giving the readers the setting; pool halls known for its dim lights, smoke, and alcohol. To many it may seems as though it is just a description of who the poem is about and where it takes place; however, it is her use of connotation and tone that will help give you

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