English 4
Literary Analysis
Assignment: Choose two poems; establish and explore a thematic connection and include relationship to poetic devices.
[Instructor comments appear in bold, italic font within brackets below.]
Life
Life is often associated with games. The reason for this has to do with the
fact that like games, life brings obstacles and new challenges, wins and losses,
new friends and new opponents. There are always choices to make, and different
paths to choose from. There are those who live their lives to the fullest, learning
and experiencing all the things they can, while others live their lives as bystanders,
wasting their potential on nothing and no one. The two poems "We Real Cool"
and "Sadie and Maud" by Gwendolyn Brooks share the common theme of
the importance of living life completely, taking each moment to learn or experience
something new. However, the poems differ a great deal, for although they both
have many similar poetic devices such as rhyme, speaker, and line length, the
poet applies many different techniques to articulate and express the main ideas
of the poems. [Clear intro and thesis.]
Despite the fact that both poems were written by the same poet, the techniques
used in the poems are quite different. One of the most obvious differences would
be the significance of diction and syntax in the poem "We Real Cool,"
which isn't as crucial in "Sadie and Maud." The diction brings a sense
of realism to the poem, for lines such as "We Real Cool. We/Left school..."
(1-2) allow the reader to sense the attitude and the confidence of the uneducated
speakers. Syntax is also used throughout the poem, and at the end, " ...Jazz
June. We/Die soon” (7-8), the technique emphasizes the importance of the
pool players' death due to the absence of the expected word "we" at
the end of the line. In “Sadie and Maud" however, Gwendolyn Brooks
uses a symbol and a refrain to accentuate the essential aspects of the poem.
The symbol, "a fine-tooth comb" (4) shows Sadie's belief in going
through life and experiencing everything to the fullest, even when it seemed
unorthodox to those around her. The disapproval Sadie had to face due to her
choices in life was apparent in the lines "Sadie bore two babies/under
her maiden name./Maud Ma and Pa/Nearly died of shame./Everyone but Sadie/Nearly
died of shame" (9-14) because it shows she received no moral support from
her loved ones when she gave birth to children out of wedlock. Despite their
belief though, Sadie had no regrets about what she had done, showing the importance
of following one's belief over others. From these lines, the reader also has
the refrain "nearly died of shame" entrenched in their minds [Repetition,
too, is used as a device here.] because it was used to exemplify the central
idea, that regardless of what society deems as normal and proper, one should
live life the way one believes is right. [Yes.]
To further express this opinion [Word choice? Perhaps “world
view” or “philosophy” – something bigger.],
Brooks changes the length of the stanzas in "Sadie and Maud" to focus
the reader’s attention on the theme of the poem. Starting out with quatrains,
the stanza in the middle of the poem is altered into a sestet. Altering the
stanza length in the middle of her poem purposely focuses the reader's attention
on it, because within the sestet is the ideology that the speaker feels all
one's beliefs should revolve around, being "...one of the livingest chits"
(7) by genuinely trying to live life. "We Real Cool" on the other
hand is written in couplets with internal rhyme, which give the readers the
impression that the speakers are self-assured and smooth, unafraid and really
"cool" people. The rhyming supports what the speakers claim themselves
to be, fearless teenagers that "Strike straight...sing sin...(and) thin
gin” (4-6), allowing the readers to believe in the speakers of the poem,
because the technique gives them an authentic quality. In "Sadie and Maud,"
the rhyming is meant to bring attention to the lines that emphasize the differences
of living life “With a fine tooth comb” (4) and like "Maud,
who went to college,/Is a thin brown mouse./...(and) is living all alone..."
(19-22). Comparing two different people in this poem is also a distinctive quality
this poem has, because the speaker clearly contrasts the life of a person who
lived as others dictated to someone who lived more unconventionally. The speakers
of the two poems also differ a great deal, for in "We Real Cool,"
the tone of the pool players is one of attitude and suavity, whereas in "Sadie
and Maud," the tone of the speaker is similar to one who is telling a narrative
without a distinctive style. [“Style” might not be the
best word choice here. Voice? Perspective?] Despite these differences
though, the poems do have a few similarities.
The two poems share many poetic devices that were used to gain different results,
but there are also a few elements which are used to achieve the same purpose.
Both poems have a plot and specific individuals. After being introduced to the
characters, the reader then is shown what happens to them as a result of their
choices in life. Another poetic device shared by both poems is the importance
of the line lengths. The lines are short, and are used to help the reader achieve
the specific reaction Brooks wanted. For “We Real Cool,” the length
of the lines maintains the idea that the teenagers are uneducated and terse,
not at all like intellectual students who could easily speak at great lengths
on most subjects. This brings a realistic sensation into the poem that causes
the reader to draw a greater emotional response, because their death then seems
real and not such an impossibility. [Yes.] In "Sadie
and Maud," the length of the lines stops the poem from seeming as if it
were an analysis, but more like a conversation, where the speaker is a matter-of-factly
telling the reader the consequences of letting others dictate one's life. [Good
close analysis of this device]. This causes the reader to feel
as if a companion is speaking, telling the reader of the mistake of another
and making sure one doesn't commit the same error.
Although the two poems share the same theme, Gwendolyn Brooks uses them to
express her opinion on life in two different ways. In "Sadie and Maud,"
the theme is that one should go through life doing what one believes is right.
Listening to others’ opinions is important, but one should never make
the mistake of altering one's beliefs to fit the standards and expectations
of others. In "We Real Cool," the theme impresses upon the reader
that one shouldn't follow in the footsteps of the speakers, for living an uneducated
life full of danger and alcohol only results in death. One's life then becomes
wasted, with no accomplishments and experiences of any worth. This poem also
implies that one should never choose the road to death when life is a choice,
and that education and achieving goals in life is important. However, in relation
to "Sadie and Maud," one shouldn't just learn, go through college,
and forget to live after becoming ensconced in the future stresses and problems
that family members and occupations often bring. [Yes, as if going
through motions.] Experiencing life completely is one of the most
important factors of learning and maturing, and nothing should impede one from
doing this.
There are too many people in our world today who are overly concerned about amassing wealth and raising their status that they no longer remember the simple joys in life. In contrast to this would be those who had long given up the struggle to succeed and spend their days listlessly watching the days pass as they do nothing to help themselves. These are two features that the two poems "Sadie and Maud," and "We Real Cool," tell readers to avoid. Both pieces by Gwendolyn Brooks are concerned about the way one should live life, and although the poetic devices and techniques used within them are rarely similar, the poems achieved the poet's ultimate goal: to let readers relate their own lives to the ones the characters have in the poems. Both poems then become extremely beneficial, because when linking the meanings of the poems together, they tell the reader that one should live, and while doing so, do it to one's fullest ability, experiencing and learning all.
Instructor end comment:
[Well done! You’ve approached these poems (and this assignment) in a thorough and sensitive way. My notes and suggestions are at the level of detail I consider polish; your content, development and clarity are all in good shape.]
** Minor mechanical errors/typos have been corrected by the creators of CHARLIE