Gwendolyn Brooks was a highly influential poet and the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize. She was also one of the most widely-read poets of the 20th century, penning poems like ‘the mother,’ ‘We Real Cool,’ and ‘The Bean Eaters.’ She wrote more than 20 books of poetry during her lifetime. She passed away in 2000.
‘Riot’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a poem that illustrates the dissonance that exists between the privileged and those who are driven to desperation to riot.
John Cabot, out of Wilma, once a Wycliffe,
all whitebluerose below his golden hair,
wrapped richly in right linen and right wool,
almost forgot his Jaguar and Lake Bluff;
‘Primer For Blacks’ by Gwendolyn Brooks speaks on the necessity of accepting one’s black heritage and a possible unified future for all black people.
Blackness
is a title,
is a preoccupation,
is a commitment Blacks
‘The Blackstone Rangers’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a stunning poem that plunges earnestly into the daily life of the group in order to uncover some truth about its purpose and necessity.
There they are.
Thirty at the corner.
Black, raw, ready.
Sores in the city
‘Eventide’ portrays an aspect of the evening, which is peaceful hence the sunset nature giving people hope and consolation.
When the sun sinks behind the mountains ,
And the sky is besprinkled with color ,
And the neighboring brook is peaceful still ,
With A gentle , silent ripple now and then;
‘the mother’ by Gwendolyn Brooks conveys the thoughts of a woman who goes through emotional turmoil after having abortions.
Abortions will not let you forget.
You remember the children you got that you did not get,
The damp small pulps with a little or with no hair,
The singers and workers that never handled the air.
Gwendolyn Brooks’ scathing critique exposes Ladies’ insincere charity, highlighting social inequality and privilege.
They allow their lovely skirts to graze no wall,
Are off at what they manage of a canter,
And, resuming all the clues of what they were,
Try to avoid inhaling the laden air.
‘We Real Cool’ by Gwendolyn Brooks describes the lives of seven pool players who lurk in the night, don’t go to school and plan on dying soon.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
‘a song in the front yard’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a well-known poem about a young speaker’s interest in the darker side of life.
I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life.
I want a peek at the back
Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows.
A girl gets sick of a rose.
‘kitchenette building’ by Brooks offers an exploration of dreams clashing with the harsh realities of racially segregated housing.
We are things of dry hours and the involuntary plan,
Grayed in, and gray. “Dream” makes a giddy sound, not strong
Like “rent,” “feeding a wife,” “satisfying a man.”
‘Sadie and Maud’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a poem about finding happiness, dealing with sexism, and society’s expectations. It features the stories of two sisters-Maud and Sadie who take different paths in life.
Maud went to college.
Sadie stayed at home.
Sadie scraped life
With a fine-tooth comb.
Brooks’ ‘The Bean Eaters’ sketches an elderly couple’s struggle with poverty highlighting their solitude and financial hardship.
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
Dinner is a casual affair.
Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
‘The Old Marrieds’ depicts a couple’s silent despair against a lively backdrop, exploring unfulfilled desires and isolation.
But in the crowding darkness not a word did they say.
Though the pretty-coated birds had piped so lightly all the day.
‘the sonnet-ballad’ appears in the poetry collection “Annie Allen” by Gwendolyn Brooks. This poem centers on the theme of horror and the pity of war.
Oh mother, mother, where is happiness?
They took my lover’s tallness off to war,
Left me lamenting. Now I cannot guess
What I can use an empty heart-cup for.
Brooks’ ‘The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves’ explores individuality and societal pressure through a tiger shamed for wearing white gloves.
The crocodile cried.
The lion sighed.
The leopard sneered.
The jaguar jeered.
‘To Be in Love’ delves into love’s dual nature, showcasing the intertwined joy and anguish of deep emotional bonds.
To be in love
Is to touch with a lighter hand.
In yourself you stretch, you are well.
You look at things
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