We Real Cool

Gwendolyn Brooks

THE POOL PLAYERS.
SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.

We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.

Rather simplistic, is it not? The simplistic nature f this poem reminds me of the play, "Breath" by Samuel Beckett. "Breath" starts with the cry of a baby, then a breath in and a breath out as lights brighten, then dim, then there is another cry. (http://www.bradcolbourne.com/breath.txt) It is so basic yet is a symbol of life, from a bleak perspective. It says you are born; you grow, then decay, and cry out as a babe as you die. Just like "We real Cool" the simpleness gives the poem more meaning.

So what is "We Real Cool" all about? The poems just gives little snapshots of thoughts and images. It is a poem of the "delinquents" of the 50's. It makes me think of Rebel Without a Cause (one of the movies we watched in APUSH thanks to Mr. Hiles) and West Side Story as far as in theme. "Strike straight" could mean gang fighting, at night "lurk late". "Sing sin", clearly means they are singing ballet dancing gangsters...just kidding : ). It could mean that they sin so much that it happens as fluidly as words come from their mouths. Also it could mean that sin is their "theme song". "Thin gin" means that they drink so much gin that their supply is "thinned" . The simple words of the poem could symbolize the simpleness of the young pool players. Also it shows how they have run out of words to say because their lifestyle is so routine and grim.


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The most prominent rhetorical devices are the alliteration, rhyming, and syntax. "Pool Players", "Lurk Late", "Strike Straight", "Sing Sing", and "Jazz June" are all examples of the alliteration. "Cool School", "Late Straight", "Sin Thin Gin", "June Soon" are example of the rhyme. It's also interesting how she has "We" at the end of each line. I read part of an interview of Brooks about this piece. She says that the "we" at the end it supposed to be performed as almost a whisper as if they are questioning their existence. This backs up the idea that they are "delinquents", the restless youth of the 50's and 60's.