Selected Poems of Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000)
Life for My Child Is Simple, and Is Good [1949]
Life for my child is simple, and is good.
He knows his wish. Yes, but that is not all.
Because I know mine too.
And we both want joy of undeep and unabiding things,
Like Kicking over a chair or throwing blocks out of a window
Or tipping over an icebox pan
Or snatching down curtains or fingering an electric outlet
Or a journey or a friend or an illegal kiss.
No. There is more to it than that.
It is that he has never been afraid.
Rather, he reaches out and lo the chair falls with a beautiful crash
And the blocks fall, down on the people's heads,
And the water comes slooshing sloopily out across the floor.
And so forth.
Not that success, for him, is sure, infallible.
But never has he been afraid to reach.
His lesions are legion.
But reaching is his rule.
unabiding – temporary
lesions – injuries
legion – numerous kills
Questions for Discussion
1. The actions in lines 5 through 7 and 11 through 13 refer to
A) parental wishes
B) childhood pleasures
C) unfulfilled dreams
D) early failures
2. As used in line 15, the word “infallible” most nearly means
A) certain
B) possible
C) desirable
D) understandable
3. Line 16 indicates the child’s willingness to
A) show feelings
B) break rules
C) take risks
D) make demands
4. The sentence “His lesions are legion” (line 17) emphasizes the child’s many
A) wishes and desires
B) cuts and bruises
C) fears and restraints
D) strengths and skills
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. B
We Real Cool
The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
Questions for Discussion
1. The speaker in the poem is probably
A) a lawyer.
B) one of the pool players.
C) the poet.
D) someone who loves school.
2. In the lines "We / left school," the speaker informs the reader
A) that he got out of school early today.
B) that he and his friends are skipping school.
C) that he and his friends love to make good grades.
3. In the lines "We / lurk late," the speaker suggests that he and his friends
A) only go out when it's safe.
B) are terrified of dangerous situations.
C) like to be part of the danger of the night.
D) like to sneak around during the afternoon.
4. By saying, "We / strike straight," the speaker informs the reader that
A) he and his friends fight well.
B) he can shoot a gun well.
C) he can't play baseball well.
D) he is a good pool player.
5. The lines "We / thin gin" reveal that the pool players
A) are devoted to their hobbies.
B) like to drink alcohol.
C) want the world to know they are decidedly rebellious.
D) all of the above.
6. In the lines "We / Jazz June," the word jazz likely means
A) a type of music.
B) a dance.
C) a mood.
D) all are possible.
7. In this poem, what literary element is used?
A) repetition
B) personification
C) onomatopoeia
D) simile
8. The final line of the poem is significant because
A) the capricious behavior of the players is continued.
B) the world does not change for the players.
C) the players suffer the consequences of their behavior.
D) the players keep living for the moment.
9. The form of the poem lends itself to analysis. Why does Brooks end each line with "We" except for the last?
A) She wants to emphasize the fact that the players are happy.
B) She is trying a new style of poem.
C) She is rebeling against the sonnet style.
D) She is emphasizing the loss of the pool players.
10. The author probably thinks
A) people should always seize the day.
B) people should indulge potentially dangerous hobbies.
C) people should try to choose wisely what to do with their time.
D) people should feel sorry for pool players who die young.
1. B; 2. B; 3. C; 4. D; 5. B; 6. D; 7. A; 8. C; 9. D; 10. C