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.
To talk about how the poem is put together, you’ll use these terms. They help you see why it’s shaped the way it is and what that shape means.
1. Structure - What it means: The way a poem is organized, like how its lines and parts are set up.
2. Closed Form - What it means: A poem with a fixed pattern, like set rhythms or rhymes that don’t change much.
3. Rhyme - What it means: When words at the end of lines sound alike, like "day" and "play."
4. Enjambment - What it means: When a sentence doesn’t stop at the end of a line but jumps to the next one.
Words for Understanding the Poem’s Pictures
Next, you’ll need words to talk about the pictures the poem creates in your head. These terms help you explain what those pictures do and why they matter.
1. Imagery - What it means: Words that make you see, hear, or feel something, like a snapshot or a sound.
2. Sensory - What it means: Anything that connects to your senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell.
3. Tone - What it means: The feeling or attitude the poem expresses, like proud, sad, or playful.
4. Verb - What it means: A word that shows action, like "jump" or "dance."