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We Real Cool
First published January 1, 1966
1 person is currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
Gwendolyn Brooks
123 books562 followersGwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Annie Allen and one of the most celebrated Black poets. She also served as consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress—the first Black woman to hold that position. She was the poet laureate for the state of Illinois for over thirty years, a National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, and the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her works include We Are Shining, Bronzeville Boys and Girls, A Street in Bronzeville, In the Mecca, The Bean Eaters, and Maud Martha.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 15, 2021
this is literally teens nowadays 🙂✌🏻
December 24, 2017
We Real Cool is a poem about the identity of a group of teenagers, black males, playing pool in the Golden Shovel.To get a better understanding of how the poem works it might be better to listen to Gwendolyn Brooks reciting the poem. it's very interesting to study this poem.I respect The famous African-American poet Gwendolyn Brooks.
June 8, 2012
For all its simplicity, this poem speaks volumes and it may be the very lack of verbosity that makes its stark message all the more poignant. Still. I have always been thrilled to imagine myself as the subject of its words. Who doesn't like a bit of danger?
December 20, 2024
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
This influential, compacted poem that captures the transitory revolt and existential desolation of youth is notable for its brevity, repetitive concentration, and pointed commentary. These qualities make it a cornerstone of modern poetry. The poem is strikingly concise, consisting of just eight lines with a consistent, jazzy rhythm. Every line, except the last, ends with the word “We,” creating a ‘silence’, that invites reflection and highlights the communal identity of the poem’s speakers. The enjambment pushes the reader forward while leaving space for uncertainty, mirroring the precarious lives of the young people in the poem. Brooks employs colloquial language that reflects the vernacular of the young, urban African-American community. The tone is deceptively casual, yet layered with irony and critique. The use of short, declarative phrases conveys the speakers' bravado and nonchalance, which contrast sharply with the bleakness of their choices and ultimate fate. The speakers declare their defiance of societal norms, embracing a lifestyle of pleasure and risk. However, the poem’s final line, “We die soon,” starkly undercuts this bravado, revealing the transient and self-destructive nature of their rebellion. The repeated “We” underscores a sense of group identity, but the brevity of their statements suggests a lack of deeper purpose or individual agency. Brooks critiques systemic neglect and societal conditions that trap marginalized youth in cycles of poverty and disenfranchisement. The pool hall, a central image in the poem, symbolizes escapism and stagnation. The poem’s rhythm, reminiscent of jazz or spoken word, is both musical and disjointed. This rhythm enhances the poem’s themes, reflecting the energetic yet unstable lives of its speakers. The sparing use of rhyme and the syncopated beats create a tension that mirrors the precariousness of their existence. Brooks masterfully poises compassion and appraisal. She does not idealize the lives of the young men but neither does she censure them downright. Instead, she sheds light on the societal forces and personal choices that lead to their plight. The poem invites readers to consider the multifaceted interaction of agency, community, and systemic inequities. "We Real Cool" is a profound exploration of youthful rebellion and mortality. Through its innovative structure, musicality, and poignant themes, Brooks crafts a poem that resonates across generations. It challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about society while appreciating the artistry of its construction. The work remains a timeless commentary on the human condition and the costs of overlooking defenseless communities. Give it a go. And feel the effect for yourself.
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
This influential, compacted poem that captures the transitory revolt and existential desolation of youth is notable for its brevity, repetitive concentration, and pointed commentary. These qualities make it a cornerstone of modern poetry. The poem is strikingly concise, consisting of just eight lines with a consistent, jazzy rhythm. Every line, except the last, ends with the word “We,” creating a ‘silence’, that invites reflection and highlights the communal identity of the poem’s speakers. The enjambment pushes the reader forward while leaving space for uncertainty, mirroring the precarious lives of the young people in the poem. Brooks employs colloquial language that reflects the vernacular of the young, urban African-American community. The tone is deceptively casual, yet layered with irony and critique. The use of short, declarative phrases conveys the speakers' bravado and nonchalance, which contrast sharply with the bleakness of their choices and ultimate fate. The speakers declare their defiance of societal norms, embracing a lifestyle of pleasure and risk. However, the poem’s final line, “We die soon,” starkly undercuts this bravado, revealing the transient and self-destructive nature of their rebellion. The repeated “We” underscores a sense of group identity, but the brevity of their statements suggests a lack of deeper purpose or individual agency. Brooks critiques systemic neglect and societal conditions that trap marginalized youth in cycles of poverty and disenfranchisement. The pool hall, a central image in the poem, symbolizes escapism and stagnation. The poem’s rhythm, reminiscent of jazz or spoken word, is both musical and disjointed. This rhythm enhances the poem’s themes, reflecting the energetic yet unstable lives of its speakers. The sparing use of rhyme and the syncopated beats create a tension that mirrors the precariousness of their existence. Brooks masterfully poises compassion and appraisal. She does not idealize the lives of the young men but neither does she censure them downright. Instead, she sheds light on the societal forces and personal choices that lead to their plight. The poem invites readers to consider the multifaceted interaction of agency, community, and systemic inequities. "We Real Cool" is a profound exploration of youthful rebellion and mortality. Through its innovative structure, musicality, and poignant themes, Brooks crafts a poem that resonates across generations. It challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about society while appreciating the artistry of its construction. The work remains a timeless commentary on the human condition and the costs of overlooking defenseless communities. Give it a go. And feel the effect for yourself.
January 17, 2025
Very Cool.
🖊 Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks came to my grade school in 19— to present some of her poems and discuss them, so I met her. One of the many poems she read was We Real Cool, and from that moment this was one of my favorite poems by Brooks. Her presentation might have been the spark that got me to enjoying and writing poetry. We Real Cool is a very short poem that packs a lot of punch – we see the egotistical minds of youth who think they are invincible.
📕Published in 1966.
જ⁀🍓 Read by the author in person at my school in 19—.
༺ ༅ ✬ ༅ ༻ ༺ ༅ ✬ ༅ ༻
My ratings for this work:
Content: ★★★★★
Grammar: ★★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★★
Ease of reading: ★★★★★
My recommendation: ★★★★★
My total rating for this work: ★★★★★ (5.0)
🖊 Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks came to my grade school in 19— to present some of her poems and discuss them, so I met her. One of the many poems she read was We Real Cool, and from that moment this was one of my favorite poems by Brooks. Her presentation might have been the spark that got me to enjoying and writing poetry. We Real Cool is a very short poem that packs a lot of punch – we see the egotistical minds of youth who think they are invincible.
📕Published in 1966.
જ⁀🍓 Read by the author in person at my school in 19—.
༺ ༅ ✬ ༅ ༻ ༺ ༅ ✬ ༅ ༻
My ratings for this work:
Content: ★★★★★
Grammar: ★★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★★
Ease of reading: ★★★★★
My recommendation: ★★★★★
My total rating for this work: ★★★★★ (5.0)
April 15, 2024
FULL REVIEW ON MY WEBSITE
https://thebookcornerchronicles.com/2...
And this time as well we are talking about another boring poem. However in need to give this poem points for not being about death and god.
I also need give this poem points for describing teens now on days in a very good way because it seems like every single teen wants to be a popular and cool kid for whatever reason.
The writing style was okay but nothing extraordinary yet again.
This poem made some good points but it wasn’t really my vibe so that’s the reason for the low rating.
https://thebookcornerchronicles.com/2...
And this time as well we are talking about another boring poem. However in need to give this poem points for not being about death and god.
I also need give this poem points for describing teens now on days in a very good way because it seems like every single teen wants to be a popular and cool kid for whatever reason.
The writing style was okay but nothing extraordinary yet again.
This poem made some good points but it wasn’t really my vibe so that’s the reason for the low rating.
May 23, 2022
We Real Cool is very short poem that in few short verses talks volumes about lives of young black men. The poem has good rithm and it goes almost like countdown of what these troubeled young men do from ditching school to stalking somebody. But as soon you catch a rithm of reciteing poem abruptly ends and ending hits you and it is devastating.
It is incredible how much you can say in few, on the surface, lines. It says how gifted the author was.
It is incredible how much you can say in few, on the surface, lines. It says how gifted the author was.
November 13, 2025
It is genius how the structure of this poem resembles the very game of pool they are playing. Every “We” being a pool ball and the phrases like “Left school” being the pool cue. Once you see it you can’t unsee it and I love it.
January 22, 2018
Poem also at poetrysoup.com
March 2, 2019
Have to read for uni, but I love it none the less.
November 16, 2021
What could go wrong when you have such an ending 😆
December 2, 2021
I read this for a class and I enjoyed the rhythm, I’m not a big fan of poems, but I enjoyed this one.
May 17, 2022
one of my favorite poems ever. really encapsulates the young experience during the harlem renaissance while also being easy to understand.
January 5, 2023
If buzzcut season by lorde was a poem.
September 15, 2023
What you see is the total, very short! doesn't say much!
December 16, 2024
independent, 3.75
February 24, 2025
4.5 - eng 110
October 12, 2023
We real cool, we get it.
October 11, 2017
"We Real Cool"
By Gwendolyn Brooks
The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
By Gwendolyn Brooks
The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
September 6, 2014
While I'm certainly not a poetry aficionado (or a fan of modern literature or American lit at that), I find this short poem by Gwendolyn Brooks both enjoyable and insightful. The rhythm she infuses in these right short lines makes the poem a fun read. Likewise, the poem itself is simple enough to understand, yet doesn't sacrifice any substance or meaning in that simplicity. This is a great read for any fan (or non-fan) of poetry.
**I appreciated the poem much better after hearing Brooks read the poem and explain it further in this short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaVfL....**
**I appreciated the poem much better after hearing Brooks read the poem and explain it further in this short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaVfL....**
May 11, 2020
—A wake up call for my generation—
Powerful in a simple way with its conciseness and stylistic grammatic flare, We Real Cool connected with me as a touching warning to youth of this generation. I personally really like this poem. I first stumbled across it by accident, and even from a glance at it I knew this poem had a lot of meaning to offer.
Powerful in a simple way with its conciseness and stylistic grammatic flare, We Real Cool connected with me as a touching warning to youth of this generation. I personally really like this poem. I first stumbled across it by accident, and even from a glance at it I knew this poem had a lot of meaning to offer.
January 16, 2023
This poem is tragic but very informative in such a few words - like an epitaph on a tombstone.
November 15, 2025
A very good and a very
depressing poem, IMO.
depressing poem, IMO.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews