We Real Cool Essay Questions

Gwendolyn Brooks has publicly stated that she intended for the poem to be read softly, with an unassuming tone (especially the word "We"). Why might she have made this distinction, given the poem’s content?

Although the poem concerns itself with the performance of masculinity and coolness, the content reflects what the speakers think of themselves when they are amongst only themselves, in the pool hall. So, in the scene of the poem, the players are accessing an inner monologue and expressing a desired self-image, one which they are actually self-conscious about and unsure whether it is right or true. The tone would be different if the speakers were, for example, at school, or walking down a crowded street. There, their performance might be louder and more boisterous, or even quieter and lurking, depending on the crowd.

Brooks advised that especially the "We"s should be read softly because that is the only personal pronoun in the poem, and it indicates a collective voice. So as an individual reading the poem, you can imagine a limited sense of self. Like the "thinned gin," all the players' individual voices are weakened the larger the group grows, because they know they can rely on others to speak at the same time. The soft "We"s especially underscore diminishing individual identities.

How does Brooks subtly express admiration and empathy for the players through what, on the surface, seems like accusatory language?

Even though Brooks chooses to portray the players' lifestyles in the context of leaving school and acting cool, she also recognizes that their behavior is a form of resistance against oppression, and the language she uses subtly expresses admiration for their resilience.

For example, the phrase "Sing sin," while it does acknowledge that the players sin, also describes the sin as being expressed in song. Singing is a creative act with the capacity for beauty and artistry. The same goes for "Jazz June." While some readers might initially see "jazzing June" as a disruption to the order of a peaceful summer month, Brooks sees Jazz as an injection of spontaneity and creativity into the summer air. And the phrase "Thin gin" recognizes that the players are willing to sacrifice their individual experiences for the good and enjoyment of the group by thinning gin to make it last longer.