I think Raymond Carver’s idea of using “commonplace but precise language” really shows in Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool” The words are super simple and easy to understand, but it still tells a deeper story. The poem is short, direct, and full of an attitude that sticks with you. You can feel the rebellious vibe just by how it’s written. Even though the poem doesn’t go into a lot of detail, it gets the point across in a strong way.
The way Brooks breaks the lines, like ending each with “We,” makes it feel like these teens are trying to prove something, but also unsure of themselves. And then the line “We Die soon” really hits, it’s so short, but powerful. It shows how fast their lives could end, and it leaves you thinking. I get what Carver means now: you don’t need big words to create big emotions. Simple words can still be deep if they’re used the right way.
One thought on “WEEK 13 Discussion- Carol Varon”
From Tahj Young (Tahj is locked out of OpenLab):
Yes, I loved We Real Cool immediately. When I read the concept of commonplace, the first story that came to mind was We Real Cool. I loved how direct and straight to the point it was. I did find it lacked description, though when I think of commonplace language, I think of wording and phrasing that’s simple yet still descriptive enough to be precise. Still, I really liked the way you broke down and interpreted the narrator’s use of “We,” and how the intensity in the lines resonated most with you