Here are some SAMPLE notes. Not perfect! Just a sample.
Introduction
Subject: “We Real Cool”, by Gwendolyn Brooks, is narrated by the collective
voice of some young pool players at a pool hall or bar called The Golden Shovel.
Theme: Through a series of short, emphatic statements beginning with “we”, we
get a sense of both the exuberance and the apprehension of these youths who
have left school.
Notes:
Stylistic feature
Title “We Real Cool”
Verb tense. All present
tense, except for “We/
left school” lines 1&2
“We” repeated
“Lurk”
“Sing sin”
Your observation
Effect?
Contribution to tone &
theme?
Vernacular form, rather
Shows that the speakers
than grammatically
are not speaking in an
correct.
academic, or more formal
environment. They are
using a more casual
language. This reinforces
the fact that they are not
in school, and proud of
their identity.
Using the present tense
The speakers are
means that the things
dropouts and spend most
they do are what they
of their time at the pool
usually do. These actions hall.
define them. Since these
are all general, one is
inclined to take “We left
school” in its broader
meaning, that they have
dropped out of school.
Or perhaps they have
just left for the day, but
do it often.
Collective identity
This could represent a
“gang” or “herd”
mentality.
Villains generally “lurk”,
They are presenting
not good citizens.
themselves as up to
know good and maybe
mysterious.
Singing implies a kind of They celebrate sin and
celebration
breaking rules.
“Thin gin”
“jazz June”
“die soon”.
The lines end with “We”.
The lines continue into
the next line –
enjambment.
Alliteration
The last line is the only
line that ends with a
period.
“seven”
They water down the gin. They might be sharing it
out cheaply or selling it
for money. Or just the
fact that they are
drinking shows they are
enjoying themselves,
perhaps illegally.
Jazz involves
They are spending June
improvisation. June is
without having any plan.
the peak of summer.
They are improvising
and relaxing. Or, they are
“messing up” a placid
June day – Jazz was a
controversial, chaotic
genre of music.
They die young. This is
The poem ends abruptly,
also the last line.
mirroring their lives,
which may also end
abruptly.
This is a contrasting
statement to all the
others. It might be said
just as defiantly, but it
highlights their
mortality, and the end to
all they affirm. This selfawareness, or perhaps
lack of concern, shows
that they are hurtling
towards their own
destruction.
Forces the reader to
Gives the feeling of being
pause, and put the
out of breath? Breathless
emphasis on the first
excitement and
word in the next line.
exuberance? Or maybe
just an emphasis on their
defiance by stressing the
verbs.
Adds even more
Gives a more composed
emphasis to the words
feel, almost making the
repeated.
poem like an anthem.
Adds musicality, adding
to the notion of jazzy
improvisation.
The line mentions death, This adds a sombre tone,
and also ends, like death. as it brings the defiant
fun to an abrupt end.
It is either 7 pm or there Could be either? Not
are 7 of them.
sure if I should mention
“cool”
The desire of belonging
and approval.
this.
Wanting to be cool is one
of the primary
motivations of youth –
wanting acceptance and
belonging to a “we”.
Concluding statement: This poem celebrates the anarchic and jubilant spirit of
defiance, so important in developing one’s identity, but also hints at the reality
that this defiance and rebellion often masks an inability to succeed in and
connect to the greater community, as well as the shortcomings of our society’s
institutions.