Poem And Twomorrow By Tupac Shakur

Even though some people are often blindsided by the luxuries and privileges they live with, large populations of the world don’t even have access to the extravagances some consider “human rights.” Written by Tupac Shakur, the poem “AND 2MORROW” illustrates the pains observed and felt by Shakur. Despite these adversities, he states that he remains hopeful of what will come “2morrow.” Throughout the entirety of the poem, Shakur shows that in troubling times, it is imperative that people stay optimistic. In conveying this theme, Shakur utilizes informal diction to make evident the conditions in which he lives, while also using shifts to further illustrate the central message.
Firstly, Shakur consistently uses informal diction—like slang, for

instance—to express the importance of positivity while facing hardships. For example, Shakur writes, “nightmares 2 humanity” (7) with a “2” instead of “to” to further illustrates the circumstances under which he lives. By using this type of “argot,” Shakur indirectly shows that the people he lives with are likely uneducated and do not possess a strong understanding of the English language like someone of an upper-class area with easily accessible education would. Additionally, Shakur later poetically states, “2morrow I c change” (16) to emphasize his original point. Yet again, the informal diction shows that Shakur and his peers likely do not have access to the same things people of other areas do. Overall, Shakur’s utilization of casual language stresses the adversities he had to face, which is pivotal in conveying the theme; despite incredible hardships, Shakur was hopeful that he’d see change, which is, essentially, the premise of the poem.
Furthermore, Shakur’s use of shifts also helps in indicating that hope is pivotal for people in trying times.

Shakur starts the poem by establishing that his world “today” is full of treacheries like hate and fear, but the audience never sees these taking place. However, Shakur first shifts his poem in his switch to nighttime, as opposed to daytime. He writes that “tonight is filled with rage / violence in the air” (9-10), which not only is a change in time, but he also now illustrates the misfortunes in his neighborhood by discussing violence and stating that there are “children bred with ruthlessness because no one at home cares” (11). Yet again, Shakur is using a device—in this case a shift—to emphasize the poor conditions of his home. Ultimately, this shift shows that Shakur not only faced internal conflicts like anger and fear, but also overcame great external obstacles. With that being said, the most prominent shift of the poem illustrates Shakur’s ability to remain positive despite these conflicts. Shakur states, “But 2morrow I c change / a chance 2 build a new” (16-17) to communicate to the audience Shakur’s resilience in spite of the difficulties he faces. This shift is the epitome of the poem’s central message, as it is the point at which Shakur emphasizes the importance of positivity. Enduring extreme adversities, Shakur’s ability to remain positive is ultimately what leads to his success, as he knows he fought “with all…[his] heart 2 keep…[his] / dream alive”

(22-23). Essentially, this means that he personally benefitted from his own optimism, as he realized that’s what led him to stay ambitious in hopes of achieving his goals.
Overall, Shakur’s use of an informal diction and shifts in “AND 2MORROW” successfully illustrates the importance of hopefulness while facing hardships. While this is a common theme in poems and stories, it’s not unique to literature. In life, positivity is equally important as it prevents people from falling into serious depressions when they face obstacles. When people fail to be hopeful or positive, the initial hurdles are heightened as people begin to lose faith that they are capable of overcoming these difficulties. While the challenges of life may seem difficult to overcome, the ability to do so lies in optimism.