Week #2 Poem Interpretation

Gwendolyn Brooks

"We Real Cool"


    I found this poem to be simple to understand and clear to the point .My interpretation of this poem is the writer is speaking of herself as a youth and her rowdy friends.  She is writing of good times when youth think they are invincible and the chances they took to party. She also speaks of tragedy, death. I feel she is speaking of a friend(s) dying due to poor choices that were made by all of them as a group. She speaks of skipping school, drinking gin, playing pool and living to be on the edge.
   Young adults do think they are "cool" most make poor choices and don't realize the consequences could be life altering. I feel she is writing this reflecting on her youth and how she and her friend thought they were on top of the world, living on the edge until tragedy made them all grow up. I can relate to this poem, I was once a teen who thought only of myself and having a good time with friends. I think most adults could relate to this poem and possibly reflect on personal teen age memories.