We Real Cool Poem: Interpreting Gwendolyn Brooks’ Powerful Verse

"We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks is short, but has a powerful message. Although each of the main lines is only three words long, it manages to paint a vivid portrait of a group of (presumably) young black men hanging out at a pool hall. Gwendolyn Brooks wrote the poem in 1959, in the midst of the rise of the American Civil Rights Movement. Her characters are "The Pool Players/Seven at the Golden Shovel", who describe dropping out of school, staying out late, and drinking at their pool bar. The poem concludes with "we/Die soon", implying that the group of seven is aware of their own mortality.

In the late 1950s, there was a heavy culture of racism and discrimination in America. In a society that fought so hard to keep black people in a culture of poverty, the group in Brooks' poem know that by living hard (leaving school, drinking), they won't live very long and seem to accept this fate as inevitable. If they're going to die soon anyway, why not "sing sin"? Why not "lurk late"? The group doesn't seem intimidated or afraid of the concept of death, instead they seem to view it as the inescapable outcome of their lives. It really shows the mentality of the time period in which the poem was written.

No matter what someone does with their life, they are going to die anyway because that's what happens. To switch pace, the classic rock song "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult presents death in an entirely different (and much more desirable) light. "Don't Fear The Reaper" has haunting lyrics that plead with an unknown subject to "take [his] hand" and fly away with the speaker. "Seasons don't fear the reaper/Nor do the wind, the sun and the rain". All of these things are eternal and not subject to ups and downs like life is, so it would definitely seem appealing to someone who was struggling with life to die and join all of the eternal things.

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The parallel that is drawn between Romeo and Juliet and the speaker and subject is very clear, and it is common knowledge that Romeo and Juliet ended in suicide so that they would be together forever. "Romeo and Juliet/Are together in eternity" is supporting the speaker's plea that death would unite the couple forever. To the seemingly desperate subject, this would come across as very romantic. In the end, the subject goes with the reaper willingly and "become[s] like they are", implying that she's going to be joined with her lover in death.

Besides being very morbid, "Don't Fear The Reaper" presents death as a romantic ideal that would appeal to its audience, the teenagers and young adults that made up the largest part of Blue Oyster Cult's fan base at the time. These age groups are known for being driven by their emotions, as well as having a high rate of suicide. By drawing the aforementioned parallel between Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers from a classic story that has always been well- known to high schoolers, and the subject, an emotional impact was added. Nearly everyone has had an early relationship that felt like the emotional be-all, end-all for their life.

The statement "I would die for you" is used as an endearing show of devotion, rather than as a slightly disturbing declaration of co-dependence. "Don't Fear The Reaper" takes this endearment and turns it up to eleven by openly suggesting that the couple die so that they can be together. A more common (and arguably less emotionally charged) view is that death is a formidable, intimidating opponent that will always win. "Death, Be Not Proud" by John Donne takes this view and turns it on its head by calling out this opponent and reducing it, through words, to something much smaller and more easily handled.

The first two lines, "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee/Mighty and dreadful, for thou art no so;" are incredibly similar to the kind of modern trash talk used by athletes and members of the gaming community to demoralize competitors. After pointing out that while others may think there's something to be feared or intimidated by in death, Donne goes on to say that although death may think that it kills people, it's actually just giving them a short and pleasurable rest before they "wake eternally" in the afterlife and will never have to face death again. If anything, this is most similar to the view of death presented in "Don't Fear The Reaper" because both include a pleasant, eternal afterlife without fear of death.

However, in "Death, Be Not Proud", Donne is almost haughtily laughing in the face of death for trying to be intimidating, rather than trying to persuade that Death is actually an attractive alternative to life. Donne tears down all the preconceived opinions about death and reduces it to a puppet, easily controlled by fate and the machinations of men. This easily manipulated version of death is much less intimidating, much like a visibly insecure opponent in a pickup basketball game. "Death, Be Not Proud" is an interesting poem to look at because although it was written between the 16th and 17th centuries, the attitude and message are still relevant today.

With the chaos and unpredictability of the modern world, humans have come close to controlling death in some ways. J. Robert Oppenheimer famously quoted the Bhagavad Gita's "Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," after creating the atomic bomb. Since Donne originally wrote his poem, it has managed to become even more applicable. A final poem that takes a very relaxed look at death is "A Song of Living" by Amelia Josephine Burr. It is almost an ode to a life lived well and fully experienced, and greets the idea of death as a gentle way to leave the world.

The recurring line "Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die." is that of a woman who is totally content looking back at her life and being satisfied with it. Instead of defiance or longing, as seen in "Death, Be Not Proud" and "Don't Fear The Reaper", Burr has an attitude of calm acceptance. She cites her life experiences one at a time, ranging from the simple pleasures of enjoying nature and love and friendship to the more serious low points and triumph thereover and her relationship with God.

By examining life rather than death itself, this poem adds an interesting dimension to the discussion of perspectives on death. Burr focuses on the experiences of the past, rather than what she would be giving up or missing when she dies, which sets her work apart. The tone of the piece is not wistful, it is self-assured and gentle. "A Song of Living" has a basic rhyme scheme, which makes the longer lines flow nicely together and keeps the whole thing feeling simple and pleasant. Even in the last stanza, Burr says that even though she is leaving her life's task undone, there will surely be another person to come along and wrap it up for her and that nothing she did was in vain.

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