Reader-Response Format
Last Name 1
Student Name
Ms. Westrick
ENGL 1102 Section ###
Day Month Year
Ms. Westrick
ENGL 1102 Section ###
Day Month Year
"We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks: Both a Fantasy and a Cautionary Tale
One of the beautiful things about literature is its ability to have different interpretations and meanings depending on the reader and how it affects them. The poem “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks can be both idealistic and cautionary depending on the reader. For a young impressionable mind, it could be idealistic; a guide on how to be cool. On the contrary for a parent, it could be a cautionary tale of what happens when children go astray. I believe it is intended to be a warning, but it’s on the reader to pay attention to how the story ends.
When I first read “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks, it gave me a sense of déjà vu. I, like many other young people, had a desire to be a part of the in-crowd and did the defiant things that we naively deemed cool. While all the things the seven pool players did might seem cool, what stood out the most to me is how it ended in their perceived death. I believe Brooks intention was to warn the reader that while mischief sounds cool in the beginning, it usually never ends well.
For the young teenager trying to find themselves and their place within high school hierarchy, “We Real Cool” can be idealistic. The first line of the poem, “We Real Cool,” is a declaration of the status of the group with the subsequent lines acting as supporting facts to prove their coolness (Brooks 891). The actions of the seven pool players, “left school” and “lurk late” are acts of rebellion that imply that they skipped school and stayed out late at night having fun and getting into trouble (Brooks 891). The repetition of the word we and its use as the first word of each sentence as well as ending each line placed an importance on the group. The emphasis on the group and their coolness could lead an impressionable teenager to equate their own desired coolness with being included in the in-crowd and being rebellious. Unlike myself, the young reader would place greater importance on being cool and ignore the way the story ends.
From the perspective of a parent, “We Real Cool” would be a cautionary tale. An adult would focus on the repetition of the word we as a negative. By attaching one’s identity to a group, someone could lose their sense of individuality and discernment. The desire to be cool and have a sense of belonging could cloud their judgment leading to poor decision making and dire consequences. The poem ends with “We die soon” implying that the group's actions eventually lead to their demise (Brooks 891). It’s the classic live fast, die young tale that many parents try to avoid for their children.
While a teenager would delight in the mischief of the group, a parent would use this story to warn their child of what happens when they go astray. While rebellion might sound cool, the risks aren’t worth the consequences. I can understand both interpretations, and I hope that future young readers of “We Real Cool” place less importance on coolness and more on individuality and being virtuous.
When I first read “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks, it gave me a sense of déjà vu. I, like many other young people, had a desire to be a part of the in-crowd and did the defiant things that we naively deemed cool. While all the things the seven pool players did might seem cool, what stood out the most to me is how it ended in their perceived death. I believe Brooks intention was to warn the reader that while mischief sounds cool in the beginning, it usually never ends well.
For the young teenager trying to find themselves and their place within high school hierarchy, “We Real Cool” can be idealistic. The first line of the poem, “We Real Cool,” is a declaration of the status of the group with the subsequent lines acting as supporting facts to prove their coolness (Brooks 891). The actions of the seven pool players, “left school” and “lurk late” are acts of rebellion that imply that they skipped school and stayed out late at night having fun and getting into trouble (Brooks 891). The repetition of the word we and its use as the first word of each sentence as well as ending each line placed an importance on the group. The emphasis on the group and their coolness could lead an impressionable teenager to equate their own desired coolness with being included in the in-crowd and being rebellious. Unlike myself, the young reader would place greater importance on being cool and ignore the way the story ends.
From the perspective of a parent, “We Real Cool” would be a cautionary tale. An adult would focus on the repetition of the word we as a negative. By attaching one’s identity to a group, someone could lose their sense of individuality and discernment. The desire to be cool and have a sense of belonging could cloud their judgment leading to poor decision making and dire consequences. The poem ends with “We die soon” implying that the group's actions eventually lead to their demise (Brooks 891). It’s the classic live fast, die young tale that many parents try to avoid for their children.
While a teenager would delight in the mischief of the group, a parent would use this story to warn their child of what happens when they go astray. While rebellion might sound cool, the risks aren’t worth the consequences. I can understand both interpretations, and I hope that future young readers of “We Real Cool” place less importance on coolness and more on individuality and being virtuous.
Works Cited
Brooks, Gwendolyn. “We Real Cool.” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Compact Edition. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. 6th ed. New York: Pearson, 2015. 891. Print.