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The title “We Real Cool” suggests a group of people who
consider themselves to be nonchalant, calm, and collected. The
slang grammar of the title also implies that the speaker of the
poem is a younger individual, probably a teenager or young
adult.
PLAYING GAMES OF POOL.
THERE ARE SEVEN PEOPLE PLAYING AT THE
GOLDEN SHOVEL POOL HALL.
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We are really cool. We
Dropped out of school. We
Hang out late in the streets. We
Hit the ball straight into the pocket during games of pool. We
Brag about our sins. We
Drink a lot of alcohol. We
Sleep around. We
Will die soon.
“THE POOL PLAYERS… GOLDEN SHOVEL” (1-2) –
provides a setting for the poem; “Lurk” (5) – hanging out,
suggests loitering or sneaking around, probably signifies that
the speaker is spending time in places where he or she should
not be; “Strike straight” (6) – refers to the games of pool being
played; “Sing sin” (7) – the speaker considers his or her sins
to be praiseworthy rather than discrediting or shameful; “Jazz
June” (9) – suggests that the speaker, likely a male, has been
sleeping around with various women. Could also mean that the
speaker would rather listen to music than authority.
The author conveyed the “cool” attitude of the speaker(s) by
presenting the poem in a straightforward manner. Her use of
slang and simple sentence structure emphasizes the nonchalant
attitude that she hoped to share with her audience. The way in
which she expresses this attitude implies that she herself
understands the “cool” and carefree mannerisms of young
people and that she wanted her readers to be able to connect
with this attitude as well.
The poem has minor shifts throughout. By ending each line
with a “we,” the reader’s attention refocuses from whatever
the current example of “cool” is to the next. However, the
major shift in the tone of the poem comes on the last line as
the speaker says “Die soon” (10). This changes the tone from
one of casualness to one that is more serious. As a result, this
causes the reader’s mood to change from contentment to
somberness. However, the shift also emphasizes the harshness
of the situation that the speaker is facing.
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“We Real Cool” ultimately creates the image of a group of
teenagers that spend their time not doing much of anything,
other than hanging out and playing pool. The title can also be
associated with the teenage stage of rebellion because young
people often consider it “cool” to participate in illegal or
inappropriate activities.
The poem’s theme stresses the difficulty that teenagers have
identifying with others in their societies. It also speaks to the
stage of rebellion and defiance of authority that many
teenagers experience. “We Real Cool” highlights the
mysterious attitude that many adolescents adopt during
teenage years and how risks, which teenagers are often more
than willing to take, can lead to devastating consequences.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9560637
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/brooks/werealcool.htm