"We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

"We Real Cool" can be found on page 879 of the Norton.

In this poem, "we" represents teenagers. This can be inferred by the conversational language and the use of slang. The opening line, "we real cool" shows that the speakers are ignorant. The rebelious teenagers constantly need to get into trouble in order to be considered cool.

The author of the poem is mocking teenagers. Everything that the teenagers due is leading up to their death. The ending line, "we die soon" shows that the author disagrees with crime among young people. This leads me to believe that the author once participated in these trivial acts as a teenager, and was able to come out alive. However, she did learn a lesson and is preaching it to her audience.

By Brooks' use of the teenagers' point of view, it shows the stupidity and ignorance of their acts.