In Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool,” the speaker’s attitude towards the seven players is very harsh and judgmental. The speaker is trying to get into their heads and trying to imagine what the boys think of themselves. She does not display any concern or care for the young men; rather the speaker is being strident and critical of their actions. At first, readers may confuse the speaker as being the pool players because of inclusion the pronoun “we”; however, the speaker could be someone that works at the Golden Shovel, who is observing the players’ every move. The speaker is forming a negative vibe and persona of the boys based on their rebellious attitude that only leads to them to “Die Soon” (8). After analyzing the subtitle of the poem, Brooks utilizes the literary device, juxtaposition, to foreshadow the pool players’ fate. …show more content…
The number “Seven” (2) ironically signifies their luck as pool players, while “Golden” (2) is a symbol of money, fortune, and youth. However, the “Shovel,” (2) which reminds the readers of death and burial, is paradoxically placed after “Golden” (2) that hints to the notion of luck always running out when following a forlorn and reckless path. Furthermore, Brooks employs informal diction to reveal the players of being illiterate and ignorant. For instance, the young men adapt the diction of street talk here: “We real cool…” (3). They utter this ungrammatical phrase, instead of saying “We are real cool.” With this ungrammatical speech and the redundantly missing the word “are,” Brooks highlights the boys mocking the value of education and celebrating the image of street learning. Thus, readers are not surprised that they “Left School…” (4). Moreover, the speaker criticizes the players for failing to grow mentally. For example, Brooks emphasizes their rebellious and impulsive actions through