Blog #11

We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.

This poem is so short, but still so meaningful. It includes end-rhyme, assonance, consonance, and alliteration. "We real cool. We left school" is an example of end-rhyme and assonance. "Sing sin... Jazz june" are examples of alliteration. So, this poem is a great example of using literary techniques. It is also meaningful. People often aspire to be cool. The opposite of cool is supposedly lame, and no one wants to be lame, so really, cool is the only way to go, right? No. This poem illustrates the true meaning of the term cool, which is not something one should aspire, too. According to the poem, cool kids drop out of school, stay out late, participate in activities that are bad for one's spiritual and physical self, and eventually die. Everyone dies, but based on the author's tone, I, as a reader, believe that these "cool" kids are dying prematurely. I wonder what "jazz june" means... what is that? I really want to know. Is jazz for bad kids? Smooth jazz, cool cats? Hmmm...