Gwendolyn Brooks represents one of the most prominent African American poetic voices of the 20th century. Her works reflect the complexity of the sociocultural environment of the mid-20th-century American community, particularly, the Civil Rights movement and the associated struggles of African American people (Hayes, 2019). Although “We Real Cool,” Sadie and Maud,” and “Speech to the Young” as some of her best-known poems describe different settings and characters, all of them convey the same theme of challenging the accepted social standards and leading the change.
The technical dimensions of the poems represent the most obvious differences. Specifically, the meter in each of the three poems is strikingly different. Furthermore, each poem utilizes a unique device to emphasize the core idea. For instance, “We Real Cool” uses anaphora, namely, the repetition of “We,” to outline the manner in which the young boys challenge the system (Brooks, 1983). In turn, “Sadie and Maud” seeks to focus on the simplicity of the ABCB rhyme scheme in order to address the problematic nature of gender roles and societal expectations (Brooks, 1945). Finally, “Speech to the Young” draws the reader’s attention to is message by incorporating a range of unique epithets. However, despite the differences in the expression means, the core message behind the poems remains the same (Brooks, 1991). Lauding the idea of challenging social prejudices and misconceptions, each poem encourages the reader to rebel against injustice in its own unique way.
Despite the differences in the characters, the settings, and the emotional impact, “We “Real Cool,” “Sadie and Maud,” and “Speech to the Young” strive to convey the same notion of change. Thus, each of the three poems could be represented as different parts of the same message that calls the reader to action. Encouraging positive change and expressing genuine hope, the poems represent the spirit of the era accurately.
References
Brooks, G. (1945). Sadie and Maud. Poetry Foundation. Web.
Brooks, G. (1983). We real cool. Poetry Foundation. Web.
Brooks, G. (1991). Speech to the young. Poem Hunter. Web.
Hayes, T. (2019). The golden shovel anthology: New poems honoring Gwendolyn Brooks. University of Arkansas Press.