Gwendolyn Brooks Research Paper

1053 Words3 Pages

She was like a flower that grew from concrete. There are many fabulous poets in the world, but not many are as special as Gwendolyn Brooks. Her vibrant poetry and witty perspective on life as an African American female in the Civil Rights era has made her one of the most renowned poets to be born in America. Her contribution to poetry and the arts is impeccable. Her famous poems are still raved about till this day. This woman is truly a legend.
Gwendolyn Brooks was born in Topeka, Kansas on June 7, 1917, but was raised in the slums of Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Brooks developed a love for poetry and the arts at an early age. As a child, she was an introvert and focused more on reading books than having a social life. In an interview with Ebony magazine, she shared that her lack of ability in several childhood activities discouraged her to interact with her peers. “I couldn’t skate, I was never a good rope-jumper, and I can remember thinking I must be a very inferior kind of child since I couldn’t play jacks” (Gwen Brooks Bio). Her artistic roots stemmed from her respectable upbringing by her parents, who both had a love of education and culture. Keziah Brooks, her mother, composed songs and “storyettes” to amuse her children (Gwen Brooks Bio). David Brooks, her father, read them daily selections from his prized set of Harvard Classics (Gwen …show more content…

She narrates the poem as a passenger of a crowded car driving in a rich neighborhood. She observes the luxuries that these people have compared to the ones that her and the other people in the car do not have. Although, Gwendolyn expresses a compassionate tone in this poem, she also includes a sense of jealousy and envy into the theme. These contrasting themes are evident in lines 34 and 35, which state “We do not want them to have less. But it is only natural that we should think we have not enough (Beverly Hills,

Show More
Related

  • Ruby Bridges Research Paper

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ruby Bridges is a girl known for her courageous actions. Ruby went to a school that would discriminate colored people in the 1960s. She was the first African American to go to an all white school. Ruby Bridges was an American activist who became a symbol of the civil rights movement. An activist is someone who campaigns to bring about political or social change.

    Read More

  • Jane Long Research Paper

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    When most people think of Texas legacies they think of Sam Houston or Davy Crockett, but they don’t usually think of people like Jane Long. Jane Long is known as ‘The Mother of Texas’. She was given that nickname because she was the first english speaking woman in Texas to give birth.

    Read More

  • Ruby Bridges Research Paper

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ruby Bridges is a prime example of how little girls with bright minds hold so much power. Not only was she intelligent, Ruby was also courageous, determined and warm-hearted. During the time when she was growing up, society was more discriminative towards African-Americans. It was so severe that little kids were separated in schools just based on the pigment of their skin. As the first black child to attend a white elementary school, she was defying stereotypes and changing history, not to mention, she looked absolutely adorable doing it.

    Read More

  • Mary Wade Research Paper

    626 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mary Wade, born on the 5th of October 1777 was the youngest convict to be sent to Australia. Before her life as a convict, she would sweep and beg on the streets of London to make her living.

    Read More

  • Gwendolyn Brooks Research Paper

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gwendolyn Brooks was born on June 7, 1917 in Topeka, Kansas, to KeziahWims Brooks and David Anderson Brooks. Brooks’ family didn’t have much income. Her father David Brooks was a janitor. Keziah Brooks, Gwendolyn’s mother was a school teacher. Soon after Gwendolyn was born her family moved away from Kansas. The Brooks family relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where Brooks remained the rest of her life. Brooks, as a child, loved to read. She was encouraged by her family and friends to do so. She spent most of her childhood immersed in her writing. Gwendolyn became a published poet at an early age. At age 13, Brooks’ poem Eventide was published. Her poem appeared in “American Childhood.” Brooks’ poems were frequently published in the Chicago Defender. At age 16, Brooks had written over seventy poems (J.Williams 28).In Brooks’ early years of writing she spoke on a lot. She talked about racial discrimination and praised African American heroes. Also, Brooks satirized both blacks and whites (A.williams1). In 1993, Gwendolyn meet poet James Weldon Johnson and writer Langston Hughes. The two influenced Brooks’ writing tremendously. The influence lead her to write over seventy poems (Bloom 12).

    Read More

  • Gwendolyn Brooks' We Real Cool

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    The life and art of the black American poet, Gwendolyn Brooks, began on June 7, 1917 when she was born in Topeka, Kansas. She was the first child of Keziah Corine Wims and David Anderson Brooks. When she was four, her family moved to their permanent residence on Champlin Avenue in Chicago. Her deep interest in poetry consumed much of her early life. For instance, Brooks began rhyming at the age of seven. When she was thirteen, she had her first poem, 'Eventide', published in American Childhood Magazine. Her first experience of high school came from the primary white high school in the city, Hyde Park High School. Thereafter, she transferred to an all-black high school and then to the integrated Englewood High School. By 1934, Brooks had become a member of the staff of the Chicago Defender and had published almost one hundred of her poems in a weekly poetry column. In 1936, she graduated from Wilson Junior College.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Sestina For The Working Mother

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fulfilling the roles of both mother and breadwinner creates an assortment of reactions for the narrator. In the poem’s opening lines, she commences her day in the harried role as a mother, and with “too much to do,” (2) expresses her struggle with balancing priorities. After saying goodbye to her children she rushes out the door, transitioning from both, one role to the next, as well as, one emotion to another. As the day continues, when reflecting on

    Read More

  • Mary Bryant Research Paper

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mary Bryant was in the group of the first convicts (and the only female convict) to ever escape from the Australian shores. Mary escaped from a penal colony which often is a remote place to escape from and is a place for prisoners to be separated. The fact that Bryant escaped from Australia suggests that she was a very courageous person, this was a trait most convicts seemed to loose once they were sentenced to transportation. This made her unique using the convicts.

    Read More

  • The Influence of Religion in Phillis Wheatley's Life

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...t social injustices (Weidt 53). Because of her quest for freedom, she gave way to writers such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Countee Cullen. Countee Cullen wrote "Heritage," which mixes themes of freedom, Africa, and religion. It can be said, then, that he gave way to writers such as Gwendolyn Brooks wrote "Negro Hero," which is about the status of the African American during the 1940s. Clearly, these poets followed the first steps taken by Phillis Wheatley towards speaking out against social issues, and today's poetry is a result of the continuation to speak out against them

    Read More

  • Abigail Williams Research Paper

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    What is it like to live a life with Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)? Narcissism is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. People with this disorder can be vindictive, selfish, cunning person. They do not care who is harmed or hurt. Abigail was the leader of all of the girls that were seen dancing and calling on evil spirits. Abigail would threaten the girls by saying if they said anything, she would kill or harm them severely. She wanted what she couldn’t have, so that made her psychologically unstable. Abigail William’s would be convicted in today’s court because she gave many threats to kill the girls who were with her the night they were dancing if they spoke up in court, her behavior caused harm to many even though she may not have physically done damage herself and due to previous court cases, some people diagnosed with Narcissism were found innocent due to their mental instability but others were guilty because they were mentally unstable. As it is shown, Narcissistic Personality Disorder causes her to be selfish, arrogant, dangerous, and obsess over the man she could not have, because Abigail threatened the girls she was with the night they were dancing, to not confess to anything in court.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks

    429 Words  | 1 Pages

    Brooks was the first child of David and Keziah Brooks. She was born on June 7, 1917 in Topeka, Kansas. Brooks wrote her first poem when she was 13 years old and was published in the children’s. Moreover she was the first black author to win the Pulitzer prize. magazine. In 1938 she was married to Henry Blakely and had two children. After a long battle of cancer Brooks died in December 3, 2000.

    Read More

  • Elizabeth Proctor Research Paper

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    Salem has become a scary and cruel place to live while the accusations of witchcraft are being made. Living in Salem during the witch trials is like playing hide and seek, except we are all hiding from the unjust accusations of witchcraft. Men and woman in this town are being accused and hanged for witchcraft with little to no evidence, like a corrupt authority. My neighbor, Elizabeth Proctor, has been accursed of witchcraft yet has stayed faithful to her family and religion throughout these crazed events of the Salem Witch Trials.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks

    330 Words  | 1 Pages

    Analysis of The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks. For this assignment, I chose the poem "The Mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks. This poem is generally about abortion and the feelings a mother has. It's about the remembrance of the children aborted and the little things children do that the mother will miss.

    Read More

  • Gwen Moore Research Paper

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    The votes were in, and on 2004, Gwen Moore was the first African-American woman to be elected a representative in Wisconsin. This was a marvelous accomplishment for Gwen to achieve in 2004. Many times, people admire Gwen for doing this. She is a very important woman in Wisconsin history for many more reasons, however. For this, believe she should be recognized more than she currently is. One reason she's important is because, she is breaking barriers for women in Wisconsin. Moore also has an important job and government role, like being a representative and previous senator of Wisconsin. Another reason that she's important, is because she wants to help others, and this is shown with a group naming her volunteer of the decade. These are a few of the reasons that I believe that congresswoman Gwen Moore, is an important Wisconsin woman. This makes Gwen a very important woman, and one that I cherish her for the work that she is doing

    Read More

  • Gwendolyn Brooks The Mother Analysis

    1487 Words  | 3 Pages

    While studying new criticism and reader response we were told to read the poem “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks. Throughout this essay I will be applying what I have learned in class to help dissect that experience to clearly differentiate both. First I will talk about new criticism and what it was like reading “The Mother” through that style. Then I will continue on to reader response and share the journey through our reading with that style. After that I will compare the similarities between both styles. Finally, to conclude I will briefly discuss which one I preferred more.

    Read More

More about Gwendolyn Brooks Research Paper

Open Document