Dear All,
Below are my lecture videos on the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks. I am focusing on Brooks the week of July 3 and will discuss Sula by Toni Morrison in class on July 6. A separate post on Morrison will be posted for the week of July 10.
This first video focuses on Gwendolyn Brooks, the Chicago Renaissance, and the first stage of her poetry (approximately 15 mins):
This shorter video focuses on Gwendolyn Brook’s shift in political and aesthetic sensibilities in the late 1960s as a response to the rise of the Black Power Movement and the Black Arts movement (approximately 5 mins):
This video focuses on Gwendolyn Brooks’s composition of her most anthologized poem, “We Real Cool.” The video features an commentary from Brooks on the poem followed by her reading of the pome, offering insight into the writer’s perspective while directing our attention to the lives of young black men (approx 6 mins):
Questions for Comment Reply based on video lectures
- Can you spot another couple of lines that seem both quotidian and universal in Gwendolyn Brooks’s “The Bean Eaters” or another poem?
- What does “The Ballad of Rudolph Read” do that newspapers and media do not do regarding Chicago’s racialized housing restrictions? What might the poem express that the newspapers do not and perhaps cannot express?
- What is it that “Dream,” “rent,” “feeding” a wife,” and “satisfying a man” are all in quotation marks? What do quotation marks around words tell us? And consider, if a poem is a speaker’s voice, why have quotation marks inside that speaker’s voice? (this is a question for interpretation and close reading. There is not one correct answer).
- How does Brooks’s prosody or voice change after the Black Arts movement? What is her tone or feeling in her poems “Boy Breaking Glass” versus “The Bean Eaters?”
- In “We Real Cool,” we glimpse the lives of young black men in the 1960s and 1970s. Why does Brooks attend to the lives of these men? What does she make us notice about them that we may not otherwise? (See the last video featuring Brooks’s interview and reading to answer this question.
5. Brook approach to this poem is is interesting because instead of judging the boys she sees or telling them what they should or shouldn’t be doing she wonders how they feel about themselves. Brooks sees the boys as people with real emotions and beliefs which is something that Black men and boys are often not allowed to express or it is assumed they are tough and emotionless. She draws attention to their lives from their point of view by using “we” instead of “they” and the poem also points out the possibility that maybe the boys just want to have some fun before the cruelty of life approaches, which we get a sense of by the way the poem ends.
2. What does “The Ballad of Rudolph Read” do that newspapers and media do not do regarding Chicago’s racialized housing restrictions? What might the poem express that the newspapers do not and perhaps cannot express?
In a highly racist society dominated by white people, newspapers do not show the other side of the story. White residents are victimized, and African Americans are seen as invaders. “The Ballad of Rudolph Read” gives voice to African Americans and shows all stages from beginning to end. First is the family’s evident happiness because they can better their situation and finally own a house. Then comes the violence and racism from the white neighbors. Lastly, Rudolph Reed’s response to the abuse ends in his murder. The newspapers do not express the perspective of African Americans and the repercussions of the housing restrictions and the constant attacks on their lives. “The Ballad of Rudolph Read” shows a lack of acceptance on white neighbors’ part, discrimination, and racism, all of which the newspapers cannot express in order to protect the oppressors.
1) Can you spot another couple of lines that seem both quotidian and universal in Gwendolyn Brooks’s “The Bean Eaters” or another poem?
The poem “The Bean Eaters” depicts the monotonous actions in poverty that people could carry out daily and think are unimportant. However, the poem also explores the beauty and depth of the human experience underneath the surface. Despite the most trying circumstances, people can exhibit dignity, resiliency, and the capacity to delight in life’s little joys.
Bean Eaters
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
Dinner is a casual affair.
Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware.
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair. ”
This describes the routine of the couple’s lives while also serving as a universal need for sustenance.
“Dinner is a casual affair.”
This sentence highlights the common but organic act of eating a meal. It portrays a sense of routine and informality while highlighting the commonplace elements of their life that many people may identify with.
“Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware”
It captures the universal truth of growing older and getting by with what one has like utensils.
1. I like the lines “but keep on putting on their clothes, and putting things away”. They show the remedial tasks that some older folks will continue to do in order to give life purpose even in their old age. Realistically one would think older folks do not need to continuously get dressed each morning or tidy up their space, but doing so is purposeful and helps keep their mind at ease.
1.There are lines in Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “The Ballad of Rudolph Reed” that seem both quotidian and universal.
“I am not hungry for berries.
I am not hungry for bread.
But hungry hungry for a house
Where at night a man in bed” (stanza 2, Gwendolyn Brooks)
Berries and bread are normal food that is quotidian. Something I see that is universal is Rudolph Reed wanting to buy a house to provide for his family which is something everyone wants. It is a human right. Everyone wants to have their own space where they can feel safe, a house that they can call it their own. Having a home can make a person feel a sense of completeness. “At night a man in bed” is an everyday thing, and something universal. This is very relatable to the readers because at the end of the day at night everyone wants to go to bed in the comfort of their own house.
3. What is it that “Dream,” “rent,” “feeding” a wife,” and “satisfying a man” are all in quotation marks? What do quotation marks around words tell us? And consider, if a poem is a speaker’s voice, why have quotation marks inside that speaker’s voice? (this is a question for interpretation and close reading. There is not one correct answer).
The presence of quotations may represent a silliness of the concepts of the marked words, a potential double-meaning, even indicating a lie or distrust to see the word for its face value…. It’s a great technique to make us pause and think of what did the author intend to say by almost separating the “word” from the others, which draws attention to it, making us ask ourselves “why are there quotation marks?” This hints at a possible difference in author seeing the same word differently and maybe trying to show it to us, inviting us to critically engage with the poem’s themes.
What does “The Ballad of Rudolph Read” do that newspapers and media do not do regarding Chicago’s racialized housing restrictions? What might the poem express that the newspapers do not and perhaps cannot express?
“The Ballad of Rudolph Read” brings a limelight to the extreme acts of violence black people once were subjugated to when moving to white areas. It also expresses the rage and extreme unfairness black families felt since they often had to take matters on their own hands.
5. In “We Real Cool,” we glimpse the lives of young black men in the 1960s and 1970s. Why does Brooks attend to the lives of these men? What does she make us notice about them that we may not otherwise? (See the last video featuring Brooks’s interview and reading to answer this question.
Brooks chooses to attend to the lives of these men because to some, the general attitude of Black men during the 1960s and 70s may have been both a combination of helplessness and attempts to hold on to hope that their state and the state of Black people in America may improve. So, rather than going to school as a part of the status quo, they rebel and skip school. In them, as a Black woman, Brooks is able to see both the desperation, resignation and foolishness of youth that they possess as young Black men.
3. What is it that “Dream,” “rent,” “feeding” a wife,” and “satisfying a man” are all in quotation marks? What do quotation marks around words tell us? And consider, if a poem is a speaker’s voice, why have quotation marks inside that speaker’s voice?
When quotation marks are used around certain words or phrases in a poem, they typically serve to draw attention to those specific words or phrases and indicate that they carry a particular significance or meaning beyond their literal interpretation. In the context of the poem, “Dream,” “rent,” “feeding” a wife,” and “satisfying a man” might be emphasized because they represent key themes or ideas that the poet wants to explore or challenge. By using quotation marks within the speaker’s voice, the poet creates a distinction between the literal meaning of the words and their metaphorical or symbolic connotations. This technique allows the poet to explore multiple layers of meaning within the poem. The quoted words could be seen as representing societal expectations, stereotypes, or traditional roles, which the speaker may be questioning, criticizing, or redefining.
Ultimately, the presence of quotation marks around these words invites the reader to question and explore the nuanced meanings and implications behind them, and to consider how they contribute to the overall theme or message of the poem. The interpretation of the poem’s use of quotation marks may vary depending on the reader’s own experiences, cultural context, and understanding of the themes being addressed.
What is it that “Dream,” “rent,” “feeding” a wife,” and “satisfying a man” are all in quotation marks? What do quotation marks around words tell us? And consider, if a poem is a speaker’s voice, why have quotation marks inside that speaker’s voice? (this is a question for interpretation and close reading. There is not one correct answer).
The addition of the quotation marks around the words/phrases above is important because it invokes this aura of sarcasm or mockery surrounding their meaning. By putting those words in quotation marks, the writer is letting the reader know that these are words that should be paid attention to, and challenged in a critical way. The fact that the speaker is the one quoting the words is important because the audience hangs on every word the speaker says, and it can potentially help the reader see the poem from the speakers point of view more clearly.
5. In “We Real Cool,” we glimpse the lives of young black men in the 1960s and 1970s. Why does Brooks attend to the lives of these men? What does she make us notice about them that we may not otherwise? (See the last video featuring Brooks’s interview and reading to answer this question.
Through “We Real Cool,” Brooks makes us notice the black men’s youth, happiness, and the community they have with one another. In my opinion, she attended to their lives because the only focus within their (black men or boys) lives would be negative.
5) The writing of “We real Cool” comes from a place of compassion rather than judgement, at a time where black men and boys were especially harshly judged. The poem focuses on positive aspects that are often overlooked or completely disregarded by that judgement.
5) Gwendolyn Brooks’ approach to the poem “We Real Cool” is notable for its lack of judgment. Instead of imposing her own opinions, she demonstrates genuine curiosity about the boys’ self-perception. Brooks challenges prevailing stereotypes by considering the boys’ own feelings and perspectives, thus recognizing their humanity and individuality. Using the inclusive pronoun, Brooks immerses herself in the boys’ experiences and highlights their complex inner lives. This challenges the notion that black men and boys are inherently tough and emotionless.
1- Can you spot another couple of lines that seem both quotidian and universal in Gwendolyn Brooks’s “The Bean Eaters” or another poem?
Here are a couple of lines from Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “The Bean Eaters” that possess both quotidian and universal qualities:
“They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.”
These opening lines from “The Bean Eaters” immediately establish the everyday, ordinary nature of the couple’s lives. The act of eating beans is a simple, mundane activity that many people can relate to. It speaks to the universality of finding contentment and sustenance in the simplest things.
“Two who are Mostly Good. Two who have lived their day.”
These lines near the end of the poem capture the essence of the couple’s lives, highlighting their fundamental goodness and the fact that they have experienced the fullness of their existence. This notion of being “mostly good” and having “lived their day” speaks to the universal theme of aging, reflecting on a life well-lived, and the inherent goodness that can be found within ordinary individuals.
In Gwendolyn Brooks’s poetry, she often explores the lives and experiences of everyday people, finding beauty and significance in the mundane. These lines from “The Bean Eaters” exemplify her ability to capture both the ordinary and the universal aspects of human existence.
5. In “We Real Cool,” we glimpse the lives of young black men in the 1960s and 1970s. Why does Brooks attend to the lives of these men? What does she make us notice about them that we may not otherwise?
Brooks attends to their lives in order to shed light on the experiences and challenges they face, giving them a voice and agency within her work. One reason Brooks attends to the lives of these men is to challenge and disrupt stereotypes and preconceived notions about them. By presenting their voices and experiences, she humanizes them, making readers notice their individuality and complexity. Instead of viewing them solely through the lens of societal prejudices, the poem invites readers to see these young men as multifaceted individuals with desires, struggles, and vulnerabilities. Brooks captures the essence of their lives and the choices they make. She portrays them as defiant, rebellious, and living on the fringes of society. However, by repeating the phrase “We real cool,” she also hints at the underlying vulnerability and self-destructive behavior that can be associated with their actions.
By paying attention to these young black men, Brooks aims to create empathy and understanding. She makes readers notice the consequences of societal marginalization, the allure of rebellion, and the potential for self-destruction.
3. What is it that “Dream,” “rent,” “feeding” a wife,” and “satisfying a man” are all in quotation marks? What do quotation marks around words tell us? And consider, if a poem is a speaker’s voice, why have quotation marks inside that speaker’s voice? (this is a question for interpretation and close reading. There is not one correct answer).
I think those words are in quotation marks because they exist on the same spectrum of priority in a reality like this. Dreaming is not something you can do in your free time, because your time is taken up doing other things, and maintaining your situation and keeping it from getting worse and everything on your back needs to be carried with both hands and you can’t free one to ponder something. At the very least these things are all in quotes because they would exist in the same space of things that need to be done if there is any space left to “Dream”.