Gwendolyn BrooksCritiques

Brooks has genuine talent and skill. But her themes and style do not appeal to me, personally.

A novella composed of short, lyrical vignettes, Maud Martha follows the eponymous protagonist over some 20 years, from childhood through to marriage and motherhood from the '20s through to the end of WW2. Maud is bright and sentimental and imaginative, stuck in an unsatisfying marriage and a run-down apartment in a racist city, but perpetually full of day dreams and hope for the future. Gwendolyn Brooks' prose makes the everyday beautiful and conjures up vividly what life must have been like in a mid-century, predominantly Black and working-class community in Chicago. Definitely recommended.

PDFBRO | 1 Poem | “We Real Cool” is a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks, first published in her 1960 collection The Bean Eaters. The poem describes a group of teenagers hanging out outside of a pool hall. It imagines these teenagers as rebels who proudly defy convention and authority—and who will likely pay for their behavior with their lives. “We Real Cool” directly links the pool players' delinquent behavior to the likelihood of their dying young. Hence, the poem's troubling final sentence: “We / Die soon” (lines 7–8). By contributing to the early deaths of the pool players, the pool hall reveals the deeper significance of its name. “We Real Cool” directly links the pool players' delinquent behavior to the likelihood of their dying young. Hence, the poem's troubling final sentence: “We / Die soon” (lines 7–8). By contributing to the early deaths of the pool players, the pool hall reveals the deeper significance of its name. | Selected Poems is the classic volume by the distinguished and celebrated poet Gwendolyn Brooks, winner of the 1950 Pulitzer Prize, and recipient of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. This compelling collection showcases Brooks's technical mastery, her warm humanity, and her compassionate and illuminating response to a complex world. This edition also includes a special PS section with insights, interviews, and more—including a short piece by Nikki Giovanni entitled "Remembering Gwen."

By 1963 the civil rights movement was in full swing across the United States, and more and more African American writers were increasingly outspoken in attacking American racism and insisting on full political, economic, and social equality for all. In that memorable year of the March on Washington, Harper & Row released Brooks’s Selected Poems, which incorporated poems from her first three collections, as well as a selection of new poems.

This edition of Selected Poems includes A Street in Bronzeville, Brooks's first published volume of poetry for which she became nationally known and which led to successive Guggenheim fellowships; Annie Allen, published one year before she became the first African American author to win the Pulitzer Prize in any category; and The Bean Eaters, her fifth publication which expanded her focus from studies of the lives of mainly poor urban black Americans to the heroism of early civil rights workers and events of particular outrage—including the 1955 Emmett Till lynching and the 1957 school desegregation crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas. |

At age 7, Maud Martha wants to be "cherished,"
at age 18, she wants "to caress."

Not sure that she attained both of these in this marriage to her first husband,
his infidelities because she was not "pretty," and their grey apartment...
her early life with a real home - with sweet potato pie -was missed by both her and likely many readers.

She loved the Dandelions, the Snow and saved the Mouse!

The short, short chapters deliver gentle terse descriptions of both people and rooms
as she "kept herself to herself."

Maud Martha, first published in 1953, is the only novel by the celebrated poet Gwendolyn Brooks. Like the author, the eponymous protagonist “was born in 1917” and grew up in Chicago. The novel describes her daily experiences as a black woman over two decades, from childhood to marriage and motherhood. And while it is always dangerous to mistake the author for a character in a book, in this case Brooks herself observed (in her 1972 memoir Report from Part One):

"Much in the “story” was taken out of my own life, and twisted, highlighted, or dulled, dressed up or down…"

The novel highlights the pervasive racism and sexism in American society. It is written in the third person, but often (albeit not always) from the perspective of the protagonist. Through her eyes we cannot but note that even when black and white people nominally “interact”, there is the weight of condescending glances, hurtful comments (whether intended or not), a sense of ‘difference’, even in the most banal of contexts, such as when Santa Claus snubs Maud Martha’s daughter Paulette. Maud Martha is no outspoken hero and generally keeps her views to herself. Yet, the novel brims with subtle, quiet fury and occasional outbursts of joy. In the final pages, we meet a pregnant Maud Martha, accompanied by her daughter Paulette, out to celebrate the end of the Second World War. Despite everything, life is still full of hope.

When a poet writes prose, the tritest observation is that the result is “poetic” and “lyrical”. For once, however, such a comment is hardly out of place. This slim novel – perhaps more of a novella – is made up of thirty-four brief chapters capturing specific events, episodes or observations. There are no wasted words and the impressionistic vignettes often surprise the reader with arresting images – dandelions are “yellow jewels for everyday, studding the patched green dress of [the] back yard”, snowflakes are “the very finest bits of white powder coming down with an almost comical little ethereal hauteur, to add themselves to the really important, piled-up masses of their kind”.

It is surprising that this novel has never been published in the UK before. Faber & Faber now address this lacuna with their new edition, introduced by Margo Jefferson as part of the “Faber Editions” series.

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2022/04/maud-martha-by-gwendolyn-brooks.html

I loved this poetic novel from beginning to end. Maud Martha's commentary on life as a black woman in the early 20th c. was acute and straight forward. The vignettes brought tears to my eyes and sadness to my heart. And yes, laughter as well. I loved the vivid descriptions of place tinged with color or lack thereof (grayness). If you are a fan of her poetry or if you've never read anything she's written, I highly recommend her only novel.

A moving poem about acceptance, peace, and diversity, emphasizing every child’s right to a shining future. Watercolor illustrations elicit the beauty of our world and its many different people.

Brooks' short poems about neighborhood children in Bronzeville capture everyday life and quiet moments, sometimes in first person and sometimes in third. Faith Ringgold's illustrations on bright backgrounds show the characters and their neighborhood.

See also: Exquisite by Suzanne Slade and Cozbi Cabrera

The first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize (1950).

Poems of war, black community, and life.

We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.

I liked the book because of all the different cultures that were apart of the story and expression. The book is a feel-good expression of how everyone is shining and happy in their own way based on what is particular to them. I liked how the author included a line about what is peculiar to one type of person is not peculiar to another. The book carried good life lessons for children along with exposing them to different cultures. The illustrations were beautiful and represented how colorful cultures and people can be.

Gwendolyn Brooks is probably best known for her gritty, real-to-life series of Bronzeville poems. They were tough, personal, and relatable, bringing American readers face to face with harsh inner city realities. These are not those poems. These celebrate the "joy, beauty, imagination, and freedom of childhood." Yet this collection is still very relatable, very real, and of course, very beautiful.
The poems are simple and illustrated in a simple way as well--- in short, very accessible for young readers just getting their first taste of poetry. They have a young voice --- such as in "Val" about a girl who feels unwelcome at a party for grownups--- and it's one that will easily draw young readers in.
I think it would be of excellent use in an elementary school English or arts class. There simply aren't enough books like this.

This is a terrific little collected volume of a wonderful poet, originally from my hometown. The book was even better when I could find videos of her readings online.

An excellent selection of poems. As one makes one's way, slowly, through these poems, a feeling of trust envelops the reader; this feeling is a credit to the poet and her masterful use of her tools. Tools like the unity of an idea as found, for example, in 'In Emanuel's Nightmare: Another Coming of Christ' where a surrealist dream depicts humanity's apparent obsession with war - and consequently its rejection of peace. Tools like complex meter and rhyming schemes as found in 'The Anniad' - a delightfully obscure poem that beguiles the heart while it chews up the mind. Shifting perspectives and the roiling emotions of anger, love, madness, and sadness fill these pages, but one is never left in a bad place because the poet's humerous and ironic nature is too skilled and too good to take us there.

Gwendolyn Brooks is an African American writer of what she sees, hears, smells, feels. Her poems are sparse and deceptively simple, with easy rhyme schemes and clear, simple language. Her messages are real and evocative however, especially in this collection, as she roams through her neighborhood in poetry, allowing all to have a voice. Her poetry notices the small things, like the comfortable nonconversation of 'The old marrieds", and the yearning of a young girl in 'a song in the front yard'. This collection would be a good addition to a high school library, there are a few adult themed poems. This collection would be a wonderful poetry addition to Langston Hughes.

Classic poetic vignettes of children growing up in an urban neighborhood in the 50's. The catch is, these are children of color, and yet they aren't suffering much racial injustice. In other words, it's a refreshing change of pace, of a perspective of happiness and hope.

Bronzeville is a book of poems. Each poem talks about the life of an African American child. Every poem in the book is about something any child would do, like play outside, playing with friends, and being around family. I think this book would be great if your introducing poetry.

This poetry book tells a story about a neighborhood of children and situations. They all have a story that could be quickly told in a poem. It would be a fun book for introducing poetry. The poetry is fun and also involves real situations.

To Disembark was a book on poetry put together by Gwendolyn Brooks. She includes stories of life for African Americans, especially in the city. This book captures the emotion often brought up about racial discrimination and hardship. I like the fact that there are so many different types of poems relating to different subjects on black culture. This book would be most appropriate with older elementary students, such as fourth through sixth grade. This book requires a higher reading comprehension, and could easily be used during black history month in February.

This is my favorite book. Maud Martha's character, the episodic writing style, the exquisite word choice...I read this one again and again.

A collection of poems that emphasizes the joys of being a child. It also speaks about the different experiences some kids go through when growing up.

The Egg Boiler by Gwendolyn Brooks

"Being you, you cut your poetry from wood.
The boiling of an egg is heavy art.
You come upon it as an artist should,
With rich-eyed passion, and with straining heart.
We fools, we cut our poems out of air.
Night color, wind soprano, and such stuff.
And sometimes weightlessness is much to bear.
You mock it, though, you name it Not Enough.
The egg, spooned gently to the avid pan,
And left the strick three minute, or the four,
Is your Enough and art for any man.
We fools give courteous ear----then cut some more,
Shaping a gorgeous Nothingness from cloud.
You watch us, eat your egg, and laugh aloud."

Gwendolyn Brooks should have been our Inaugural poet, if Clinton valued literature more, politics less. There's little comparison between her poetry and her sophomoric colleagues'. "We real cool. We" alone stands as a prosodic and vocal breakthrough in American letters, the voice of the street in spondees, with the line-end punctuating the street pause. Wonderful, and enlightening. Nobody knew you could capture the
street in a brief lyric until she did. Rappers would do well to master Brooks' spondees here.
But that's just the beginning of her accomplishment, as this selection shows.
As for inaugural poets, no politician since JFK had the political smarts to appoint an opponent--a lifelong Republican--to the post, perhaps because Frost's fame did not deter from the Office of President. Now no one poet dominates like that, though Billy Collins is close. And Gwendolyn Brooks made up in skill what she lacked in fame.

A wonderful collection of poems are shared by Pulitzer prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks with colorful illustrations provided by Caldecott winner, Faith Ringgold. Children and adults alike should enjoy these poems to do with childhood regardless of race or age.

This was a cute book of poetry made by children of their childhood experiences. This would be a great book to share with your class. As a teacher you could allow your students to each write their own poem about themselves or an event that happened in their lifetime. Then the teacher can combine all the poems and make a book out of them.½

This is an interesting book that contains a 1956 poem collection created by Gwendolyn Brooks. The poems in the book generally describe various pieces of life and activities of kids in the Bronzeville section of Chicago. What I enjoyed about the author’s poem style, is that it describes life in the community from the perspective of a child, which in turn creates a connection with young reader who might relate to the character of the poem and think “that’s me”, or might remind adult readers of their childhood from the past. Most poems in the collection rhyme, which makes them easy to remember and pleasant to read. The poems are highly descriptive of events, feelings and thoughts of the children in the neighborhood. Although, some of the poems take a child as its subject and others unfold in a child's voice, they are all constructed in an inventive way that makes the poems simple, but very vibrant.

The book’s illustrations also take on the poems’ theme and simplistic approach. The book’s illustrations resemble kids drawing. But the illustrator’s wise choices about which relevant scene from the poem to illustrate, resulted in a successful integration between the poem and the illustrations where they became effective tools to help the reader visualize the poem. I believe this book is appropriate for kids between the age of five and eight years old.