For this discussion, I’ve chosen the poem, “We Real Cool,” by Gwendolyn Brooks. Of the three prior assumptions readers tend to make when approaching a poem, I believe I made the mistake of assuming that the poem can mean anything readers want it to mean.
I actually read the poem once to myself, read it a second time out loud and then listened to Gwendolyn speak about and then read the poem on my third attempt.
I did get the sense that it was about a group of kids who were supposed to be in school, but were instead playing pool, but I questioned the point of the poem.
After listening to the audio attached, she explains that the idea for the poem came from her passing a group of schoolboys at the pool hall in her community, and instead of asking why they weren’t in school, she asked herself, “I wonder how they feel about themselves?”
With this question, she explained the line in the poem “We Jazz June,” as a representation of the contempt they might feel toward school which also coincides with the lines, “We Real Cool. We Left School.”
Also, when listening to her read the poem aloud, she gave it a different kind of energy as opposed to the way I was reading it myself; I ended up very much enjoying this poem, the energy and the meaning behind it.
One thought on “Sophia Morales Discussion 13”
Hi Sofia,
I agree with your basic premise that readers might believe the poem can be taken to imply anything the reader wants it to mean. The poem does, however, have a clear meaning and aim, which can be discovered by careful analysis and an understanding based on the poet’s viewpoint. The poem’s themes, particularly the concept of disregard for authority and school, are emphasized in the words “We left school” (line 4). It’s also fascinating to hear how having Brooks deliver the poem aloud changed your viewpoint on it and increased your appreciation of it.