AP English 12
February 4, 2015
Quick Write
• To receive full points you need to be writing
the ENTIRE time!
What characteristics do you typically associate
with people who identify themselves as
“Nobodies”? What does it mean to be a
“Nobody”? How does society commonly treat its
“Nobodies?”
Independent Reading
• 20-25 minutes
• Reminder: In order to receive daily SSR points
you must be present and on task. That means
NO sleeping, doing homework, leaving the
classroom for restroom/library, talking,
distracting others, etc.
Class Activity
“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
“We Real Cool”
• Title-Ponder the title
–Group of “cool” people
hanging out.
“We Real Cool”
• Paraphrase-Translate each line of the poem
– 1. They are cool
– 2. They left school
– 3. They stay out late
– 4. They hit straight
– 5. They sing about bad things
– 6. They have drunk smiles
– 7. They play jazz music in June
– 8. They are going to die soon
“We Real Cool”
• Connotation-Examine the devices
– Monosyllabic: uneducated and dangerous
– Repetition: makes it sound like a chant or song
– Alliteration: makes it sound childish and like a
nursery rhyme
– Internal Rhyme: same as alliteration
– Syntax: SVO and SVA makes it sound final
“We Real Cool”
• Attitude/Tone-Examine both the
speaker and poet’s attitudes
– Speaker: fake confidence, intolerant,
fearful (at the end)
– Poet’s Attitude: dislike, dissatisfied,
contempt
“We Real Cool”
• Shift-epiphany
–Stanza 4, Line 8
• No “we” as if there’s a realization or
something is becoming final.
“We Real Cool”
• Title Revised-Examine the title again
on an interpretive level.
–Group of dropouts trying to make
themselves appear “cooler” than
they are
“We Real Cool”
• Theme-Recognize the human experience,
motivation, or condition suggested by the
poem. Must be expressed as a complete
sentence.
– The theme of the poem is that certain lifestyle
choices can yield a moment of satisfaction, but in
the long run, wisdom and longevity are what
create a happy individual.
Homework
• Read the introduction and poem “I’m
Nobody! Who Are You?” by Emily
Dickinson on pg. 501.
• Go to Google Classroom, open the
document titled “First Impression
Response,” read the instructions, and
complete the assignment.