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Gwendolyn Brooks: A Perspective of Black Life by Anise Evans*

© Dorothy Harris

When one reds poetry written by Gwendolyn Brooks, several ideas about wht she is trying to convey through her poems may come to mind. Some may consider many of her poems to be reflections of the harsh conditions that Blacks have and continue to live under in an oppressive society. Others, as noted by Henry L. Gates and Nellie Y. McKay in THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE, may simply find her poems to be her poems to be about "the stuff of everyday life"(1578), particularly within the Black community. However, it seems as though Brooks has something else in mind as well when writing about African Americans. She also used some of her poetry to analyze the difficult choices that African Americans make in their lives, as well as examine the consequences of these choices.

In her poem "Kitchenette Building," Brooks addresses the problems that some African Americans encounter when deciding whether or not to pursue their "Dream". She implies that there are too many obstacles that stand in the way of them doing so. For instance, she writes:

"Dream" makes a giddy sound, not strong
Like "rent," "feeding a wife," "satisfying a man" (1579)

Here Brooks is saying that while having a dream in mind is of some importance, there are certain necessities that are priorities over any attempt to pursue it, like paying the rent, putting food on the table, and forming close relationships. Nevertheless, it seems as though Brooks offers some criticism about the decision to accept this life without the dream. She writes:

Even if we were willing to let it in,
Had time to warm it, keep it very clean
Anticipate a message, let it begin?

We wonder. But not well! Not for a minute!
Since Number Five is out of the bathroom now.
We think of lukewarm water, hope to get it in (1579).

In these last two stanzas, Brooks makes the point that once African Americans allow these priorities to overshadow their dream long enough, even the most menial excuses for advancing toward it also begin to stand in the way. Thus, in this poem Brooks contends that when one starts letting their needs stand in the way of pursuing their dream, the result is that it then becomes easier for less important matters to stand in the way as well.

In addition, Brooks examines the choice of lifestyle that a girl is contemplating in "a song in the front yard". In this poem, the narrator gives the impression that she has led nothing but a sheltered life and wants to go astray. This can be seen in the first stanza that reads:

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