| Part 1 Identify the theme of the poem. How do you know this is the theme? The theme of “We Real Cool” is kids believing their cool because they decide to play pool rather than go to school. I got this theme by reading the poem and analyzing what each part truly means. Define the poetic devices (e.g., rhythm, figurative language, etc.) used in the poem. Offer at least two examples. Gwendolyn used rhythm and figurative language. This poem consists of scansion where the lines of poetry are setup with stressed and unstressed syllables. She used the word “June” in her poem as a figurative word expressing a joy able and warm time period that everyone loves. Analyze how these poetic devices contribute to the development of the poem’s message. The poetic devices in this poem describe the outlook Gwendolyn had about the kids playing pool which ties into her word choice and the tone in which she wrote it.
Part 2 How did hearing the poem recited aloud compare to a silent reading of it? After reading it, I could tell what she was talking about but the words she used made no sense to me as to why she chose those words and what she was going for. After listening to the poem, I got a better understanding of her reason for it being written that way. Gwendolyn Brooks is a very unique poet. Did the performance highlight certain words or phrases that were not as apparent in a silent reading? Yes, I can say when I read the poem I read it as I would the chapters in our textbook for assignments. Gwendolyn emphasized the words real, school, lurk, late, strike, sing, sin, thin, gin, jazz, and die in her performance. Hearing the way it’s meant to be read gave me a new perspective of what she was going for when writing it. Did the pace change and, if so, how did it change your understanding of the poem? Yes, the changed pace helped me understand what Gwendolyn was really thinking when she decided to write this poem. I felt a deeper connection with the writer when listening to her description of the poem and the way she read it versus how I thought it was read. Did words have different connotations when spoken aloud, and, if so, what kind(s) of connotation did you associate with the poem? Yes, two words in particular, Jazz and June were used in ways of expressing fragrant, warm, enjoyable times. Gwendolyn used Jazz and June as emotional expressions. Do you think reading poetry aloud is a worthwhile endeavor when analyzing it? Why, or why not? Yes, reading aloud has always been good when analyzing or just wanting to get a better understanding of what is being read. When we read aloud our mind is able to process better and gain a deeper understanding of what we’re reading. In other words, we are able to gain more from what we’re reading when we read aloud. References Clugston, R. W. (2014). Journey into literature (2nd Ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ Brooks, G. (1960) We Real Cool. Harper. Retrieved on 31st January 2017 from https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/we-real-cool | 
