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In “We real cool”, Gwendolyn Brooks expresses a powerful message about teens back in the 60’s. Brooks gets this message across by telling us what a typical teenager’s day was and their thoughts.

Gwendolyn Brooks writes this poem in the boys’ perspective in which they skip school to go play pool so they can be happy. The subtitle of this poem is, “The Pool Players, Seven at the Golden Shovel”. Brooks also starts every line with the word “we”. The word “Golden” represents fun and happiness in which the teens’ happiness was at the pool place. They basically did everything just to have the feeling of happiness.

Being careless and having fun was the motto back in the 60’s. The very first line of this poem says, “We real cool. We left school... We sing sin.” This quote states that the teens thought they were cool because of the careless things they did. Having fun was the main thing to these teens and not attending school was obviously one of them.

Sometimes trying too hard for something may lead you somewhere you would never want to be. At the end of the poem, Gwendolyn writes, “We die soon.” The meaning of this quote is that doing all of these things will eventually result in a death. No education and doing drugs/drinking

Gwendolyn Brooks

On June 7th, 1917, poet Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was born in the city of Topeka, Kansas. Brooks started writing at a very young age, which made her feel as if she always had to write. She published her very first poem in a children’s magazine at the age of 13 in Chicago. When she turned 17, she began to publish many more poems, starting her career as a beat poet. Most of her writing was based on her life in reality. Because Brooks had many years of experience in the National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People, she dedicated her life to writing poems mostly about black history. Brooks married Henry Lowington Blakely Jr. in 1939 and had

two children. Unfortunately, Brooks passed away on December 3rd, 2000 at age 83 due to cancer.

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alcohol will lead them nowhere.

The feeling of happiness and having fun was the main objective for these young teens. It didn’t matter how bad it was, they did anything just to have this feeling. They went from skipping school to doing drugs and alcohol. In conclusion, Gwendolyn Brooks expresses how the teens of the 60’s were like through her poem called “We Real Cool”.

We Real Cool

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What Changed The World How the war changed the outlook

and culture of America

Bauer Publications

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In Allen Ginsberg poem “Howl,” Ginsberg expresses the frustration, artistic energy, and self-destruction of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He creates enormous run-off sentences, which should be read in one breath.

The title “Howl” is a wolf howling at the

Irwin Allen Ginsberg was born on June 3, 1926, in Newark, New Jersey. Ginsberg became one of the founding fathers of the Beat Generation with his revolutionary poem "Howl”.

During the 1940’s, Ginsberg focused on his writing, and realized he was attracted to men and started to explore.

Later, in 1954, Ginsberg moved to San Francisco and became part of the Beat Movement. It was an eye-opening work in its explorations of sexuality, anguish and social issues in non-traditional poetic form.

During the 1960s Ginsberg came up with the phrase “flower power”, which described the peace movement. This phrase was for the anti-war demonstrations he took part in, and his protests against the Vietnam War.

Later, Ginsberg won the 1974 National Book Award and received the Robert Frost Medal, for the importance and influence of his work. In his final years he worked with musical artists, like the Clash, Philip Glass, Bono, and Sonic Youth. Unfortunately, Ginsberg died from liver cancer on April 5,1997, in the East Village in Manhattan, New York.

Howl

Allen Ginsberg

moon this is one of the images Allen wanted to convey. Artist of the Beat Generation were like animals, from Ginsberg point of view, they portrayed the same characteristics like being wild and staying out all night.

In the first sentences, “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness...” The speaker is telling us how he witnessed the destruction of his generation. You might be asking who the “best minds” are well they were people like dropouts, drug users, musicians, and poets. They would like to think about jazz and imagine they were floating above the city. “El” is referring to one of the Hebrew names of God, which is the abbreviation to Elevated train, the one in Chicago. These “best minds” did go to school as Ginsberg refers to “universities” but they did not do a lot of learning they spent most of their time hallucinating.

At the universities they were among the “scholars of war” who are the “worst minds” from Ginsberg point of view. Ginsberg believes that the universities were responsible for creating warfare and contributing to the capitalist system that he hated. Clearly, Ginsberg expresses frustration, artistic energy, and self-destruction in his poem “Howl”. These lines are only a taste of what the whole poem is about, Howl is in three sections and if you like it so far I would suggest reading the rest and see what else happens.

Poetry

Artwork

Painted in 1961, the picture We Two Boys Together Clinging by David Hockney is obviously depicting love between men. It shows two men hugging each other and the words ‘we 2 boys together clinging’. There are also a few hearts in the painting, further showing the love between the men. Between the two men are small red strands connecting them, showing how their love makes them inseparable. The heads of the men are also separated from their bodies, floating just above them. This may be showing the floating feeling that some people say they have when they are with the person they love. The man on the left appears to resemble the painter, who seems to be kissing the other man on the cheek. The other man is

David Hockney Prominent artist and photographer David Hockney, born in Bradford, England, was very popular in the 1960’s. He is openly gay which influences much of his artwork. For example in the painting We Two Boys Together Clinging, depicts two men hugging and clinging to each other.

In 1948, Hockney won a scholarship to one of the most embossed schools in the country. He then decided to become an artist because art was his favorite class out of all of his classes. Hockney is often seen as eccentric. He jumps around many strange artistic circles. His paintings are sometimes seen as strange, but are there really any paintings that aren’t? His artwork is often vibrant and very beautiful.

His paintings often depict people that he knows like friends, lovers, relatives, and such. They always bear very good resemblance to the person in the picture. He often makes his paintings and photos of people in his pool or somewhere in his house. Nowadays, David Hockney is alive and well and still making his vibrant artwork. He currently has many exhibits up and is still very popular.

facing the front (instead of towards the other man) and is an undefined man with his face scratched off, except for his smiling mouth. The meaning behind the man on the right having no face could mean that the painter loves all men in general.

We Two Boys Together Clinging

In Jim Morrison's song “Dawn's Highway”, Jim shows his sadness that he felt when witnessing a truck of indians killed right in front of him as a young child. This song symbolizes death and how fast it can be taken away. It shows how something can affect people in such a way. Jim wanted his listeners to feel what he had felt and when he had saw the bloody indians on the road.

In the line “Indians scattered on dawn's highway bleeding Ghosts crowd the young child's fragile eggshell mind,” he expresses his pain that he felt and that a young child shouldn't have to endure what he had witnessed at the age of four.

In the 1960’s kids rebelled against their parents and higher officials, including the government. In this song and many interviews with the press, Jim used foul language and explained what he had seen on that day. He blames his parents for what he had seen. Teenagers listening to his music may have turned to him to relate their life to his, and blame their parents for all the things that still affect them today.

Jim Morrison Jim Morrison, one of the most influential singers in rock history, was born as James Douglas Morrison on December 8, 1943 in Melbourne, Florida. In 1947, Morrison, then four years old, supposedly saw a car accident in the desert were a family of Native Americans were injured and maybe killed. He referred to this incident in the song "Dawn's Highway" from the album An American Prayer, and again in "Peace

Frog" and "Ghost Song."Morrison’s traumatic events affected his career greatly. Jim Morrison formed a band called “The Doors.” After graduating from UCLA for film, he went on to live a Bohemian lifestyle on Venice Beach. Morrison and the Doors got signed to the Elektra Record label in 1967.On July 3rd,1971 James Douglas Morrison passed away in his apartment in Paris,The official cause was listed as heart failure, though no autopsy was performed.

Dawn’s Highway

Jim Morrison

Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk, born February 3, 1947, is still alive today and was born and grew up in Queens, New York.Melanie’s parents were strict towards her most of her life and Melanie was forced to go to college for dramatic arts. She later went on to become an American singer-songwriter. Known by her stage name Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday", "What Have They Done To My Song Ma" and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"At first, Melanie signed to Columbia Records and released two singles. Later on, she signed with Buddah Records and first found top chart success in Europe in 1969. Later in 1969, Melanie had a very big single hit in the Netherlands called "Beautiful People". She performed at Woodstock in 1969 and sung her most loved song, "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)", where the Woodstock audience lit candles during her set, although most of the "candles" were actually matches or lighters.

Dawn’s Highway

Melanie Safka In the song “Lay down,” by Melanie

Safka she explains her disapproval of the Vietnam war. Melanie had got her inspiration for the song, from one of her woodstock performances. During the performance, members of the audience lit candles because they were so inspired by her “no war” type of song. In the song, Melanie displays her utter hate and dislike for the military/war and connected with her teenage viewers by rebelling against the government by protesting the war. Melanie’s performance at woodstock changed her career and I think that without this song that she wouldn't be as successful as she was today. I also think she was a great example of a “hippie” in her era. She was a great inspiration for young girls in the 1960’s who didn't feel comfortable in their society.

Andy Warhol made this painting of Marilyn

Monroe after she committed suicide in 1962. While looking at this painting you notice that her eyes are not open all the way. When you talk to someone, you make eye contact with them. By doing this you can determine what they are feeling. Marilyn’s eyes are almost closed so you can’t see the emotions that she is feeling. Even though she is smiling, she may not be happy. This painting shows that people may not always be what they seem to be on the outside. This says that we should enjoy life and not take anything for granted.

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol has created some of today's most popular art. His most famous is the Campbell Soup collection. Andy was born in Pittsburgh in 1928 and went on to attended art classes at Carnegie Institute. Warhol started in art when he contracted the deadly disease of Chorea, making him bedridden. His mother decided to help with his passion of art. Warhol's father had recognized his son's artistic talent and donated his entire life savings to him for his college education. Warhol graduated college in 1949 and moved to New York City. His first job was with Glamour magazine, which was where he grew to fame. Andy is famous for using rubber stamps to create his drawings, which caused critics to call his artwork whimsical and entertaining. In 1964, Warhol opened his own art studio known as 'The Factory'. This quickly became a huge hotspot for lavish parties. Today Andy is one of America's most famous artists and his artwork will be remembered for many generations to come.

Marilyn Monroe

FUN FACT: Andy Warhol was diagnosed with

autism