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We Real Cool Gwendolyn brooks

Activity 1 - Make a statement for each picture starting with I .... and expressing the feeling/emotion/attitude, for example: I am strong./I don't care./I must protect my sister.

What's the coolest thing here?

Coolness is an aesthetic of attitude, behavior, appearance and style that is generally admired. (Wikipedia)

In the past cool was something connected to rebels and underdogs, such as slaves, prisoners, bikers and political dissidents, who used to be punished if opposed to authorities so they rather preferred to express their attitude through body language, clothes or irony.

The word cool is widely believed to come from African-American Vernacular English, as well as its variations such as: Don't blow your cool; chill out, chill

Scientists argue that cool pose is particularly predominant with African-American males because it helps them deal with prejudices, racism, discrimination, social oppression and rejection. It helps them gain back control, strength and confidence in situations and places where they don't feel accepted and appreciated.

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) was an American poet, writer and teacher. She was the first African American writer who won the Pulitzer Prize.

What is the poem about? Young people or old people? Males or females? Black or white?

One day Gwendolyn was passing by the pool hall named The Golden Shovel.

She saw a bunch of boys hanging out outside the pool hall. There were 7 of them.

Instead of asking herself: What are they doing there? Why aren't they at school?, she asked herself: What do they feel like? What do they think about themselves?

What is the poem about? Young or old people? Males or females? Black or white?

Activity 2: What is the poem about? Money, destiny, pool, life, death, young people, school, irresponsibility, love, parents, pride, everyday life, warning, rebellion? Choose 3 main themes.

How does finish their being cool? Why does she say that?

Can you name at least 2 poetic devices in the poem.

cool - school
late - straight

Rhyme. Find other rhymes in the poem.

lurk - late
strike - straight

Alliteration (repeating the consonants). Find other examples in the poem.

Activity 3 - use the template and write your own We Real Cool poem. Use one poetic device: rhymes or alliteration.

Credits:

Created with images by Pexels - "black people man afro-american" • PublicDomainPictures - "child cool dress" • clicjeroen - "diving tough boy" • Capri23auto - "motorcycle chopper honda" • Picography - "b-boying breaking breakdancing" • karosieben - "smoking young people youth" • silviarita - "girl woman read" • rebcenter-moscow - "on the street road street" • geralt - "protection protect hand" • Leroy_Skalstad - "homeless man b w" • Alexas_Fotos - "hands shake encouragement" • Foundry - "railroad tracks sitting woman" • klimkin - "hunter girl dog" • silviarita - "young woman meadow concerns" • AhmadArdity - "fashion show fashion catwalk" • Sammy-Williams - "handsome man male" • RyanMcGuire - "relaxed male man" • zibik - "man woman black" • SarahRichterArt - "child boy lion" • WikiImages - "man african american black" • igormattio - "man tattoo thai" • WaltiGoehner - "hippies fun men" • 2246847 - "anonymous graffiti mask" • TheLightnist - "book love heart love" • Skitterphoto - "pool cue jump shot" • Skitterphoto - "pool hall pool pool table" • Pexels - "dirt farm garden" • geralt - "students learn books" • mzmatuszewski0 - "letter paper writing" • Pexels - "black people man afro-american" • Wokandapix - "classroom school education" • BruceEmmerling - "city sidewalk downtown" • Pexels - "asphalt street highway" • suju - "katz mouse animal" • BruceEmmerling - "city sidewalk downtown" • KeithJJ - "baseball batter swinging" • Pexels - "asphalt street highway"

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