Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn BrooksGwendolyn Brooks-
A Critical Analysis of Her Work
Gwendolyn Brooks is the female poet who has been most responsive to changes in the black community, particularly in the community�s vision of itself. The first African American to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize; she was considered one of America�s most distinguished poets well before the age of fifty. Known for her technical artistry, she has succeeded in forms as disparate as Italian terza rima and the blues. She has been praised for her wisdom and insight into the African Experience in America. Her works reflect both the paradises and the hells of the black people of the world. Her writing is objective, but her characters speak for themselves. Although the idiom is local, the message is universal. Brooks uses ordinary speech, only words that will strengthen, and richness of sound to create effective poetry.
The poem The Bean Eaters (see the included poems) is a fine example of all three of these key elements. First and foremost is the use of ordinary speech. For instance the lines They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair / Dinner is a casual affair. Each of these words are easily understandable. Though plain speech, each word is used more differently and more intensely than in ordinary discourse. Old yellow pair resounds with more meaning than old couple. �Yellow� implies faded or old; �Pair� is more compassionate than �couple�, suggesting more of a connection than just a matchup. Though easily readable, the first line sets a tone of tenderness. Dinner is a casual affair is also a unique statement. Though five plain words, each is used effectively to create an irony which is maintained for the rest of the stanza. �Dinner� and �affair� imply more formal situations, but yet are described as �casual.� This vague irony is further developed in the next two lines, Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood, / Tin flatware. Chipware is Brooks�s own term, which originates from flatware. �Dinnerware� implies wealth and elegance, while chipware implies aged dishes used by the poor. Yet, chipware also calls up the dignity of dinnerware. The �plain and creaking wood� or table reinforces a sense of poverty. Consistent with the preceding images, �Tin flatware� implies cheapness because of tin, but also refinement from �flatware.� Each word is used to add or reinforce meaning in the poem. No words are used unnecessarily.
The first stanza is laden with sonorous words that effectively convey the meaning of each phrase. The three round O sounds in the first line are a mouthful, and create an almost whispery quality that is reminiscent of the worn quality of the people. Dinner is a casual affair is a line with soft vowel sounds, which are easier to swallow than the long sounds of the first line. This coincides once again with the implications of the words. The first line paints almost a dreary picture, while the second adds an air of lightness. These vowel...
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