TEACHER EXAMPLE!!!
ALTER-EGO POETRY PROJECT
Ms. Johnson
Alter-Ego Poet: Gwendolyn Brooks
A. Poet Profile
Gwendolyn Brooks
is best known for her poem called “The Pool Players, Seven at the Golden
Shovel.” She was born in
B. Stylistic Analysis
of “The Pool Players, Seven at the Golden Shovel”
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.
“The Pool Players, Seven at the Golden Shovel”, written by Gwendolyn Brooks, uses playful sounds and irreverent diction to create a portrait of teenage freedom.
In the first couplet the reader learns that the seven pool players “left school”. This line tells the reader that the young boys are not worried about what adults think. The reader might guess that if they are not concerned with school rules, they are not worried about anyone else’s rules either. In the last line Brooks uses the words “die soon.” Although death sometimes connotes fear or pain, here the tone of this line is carefree and confident. Instead of worrying about an early death, the boys feel liberated by youth. On a June afternoon, with their pool cues they “strike straight”, free of the responsibilities that so often come with growing up, unafraid of death or consequence….
In the third stanza, Brooks writes, “We sing sin”. She uses the “s” alliteration to create a mischievous sound. The enjambed “we” also gives the poem a unique and playful rhythm. In this poem the word “sin” means trouble, but it’s a trouble that sounds fun. The reader is left to imagine all kinds of playful “sin” the teenage boys might “sing” in the pool hall. Whether the rebellious boys are getting in trouble or just talking about trouble while cutting school, it is clear that they are having fun….
C. Influence Poem
Original:
The Bean Eaters
by Gwendolyn Brooks
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.
Dinner is a casual affair.
Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware.
Two who are Mostly Good.
Two who have lived their day,
But keep on putting on their clothes
And putting things away.
And remembering . . .
Remembering, with twinklings and twinges,
As they lean over the beans in their rented back room that
is full of beads and receipts and dolls and cloths,
tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes.
Influence Poem:
The Hot Chips Eaters
By Ms. Johnson
They eat chips loudly, for ten years—loyal friends,
Lunch is a split bag of red Cheetos.
Crinkles and salt on a graffiti scarred desk.
Good gossip.
(At least 20 lines in length!!!)