Richard Parks Journal Entry #2

Prior to hearing the poem “We Real Cool”, I presumed the poem would be a recollection of some previous event. This is because I haven’t come across many poems that do not share some tale of the past in one way or another. As the poem was read to us, the content led me to believe that the narrator was reminiscing about personal experiences with friends. I thought this because of the words “pool” and “we real cool”. When I hear this, I immediately think of my aunt and uncle’s old pool table that they kept in their garage. Whenever my family and I would visit, we would all enjoy a few rounds of pool, together. It was a time for us to bond and simply enjoy each other’s company. So when I hear the word “pool” I automatically associate it with a good time spent with friends and family. 

I believe my assumptions were in proximity with the actual story behind the poem. As explained, the poem was about a group of friends that Gwendolyn Brooks observed from outside of a pool hall. The narrator suggested that the group of friends all dropped out of school and began to immerse themselves in sinful activities such as lurking late and drinking alcohol. The narrator goes even further to predict their future fate if they continue to pursue the devilish endeavors- death.

I, mostly, viewed this poem as one of inspiration. The work essentially serves to persuade kids to stay in school and to not become involved in late nights and sinful deeds. I believe this should be introduced to kids in schools around the country. If not this particular poem, then something of its caliber, because I have increasingly begun to see young people become caught up in the wrong crowds, these days. I suppose that starts at home with the proper parenting, but that’s a topic for a different essay, altogether.