You can read the following poems by consulting your textbook or clicking on the titles. The e-notations provided below offer links to sites that offer background or otherwise illuminate the works. Enjoy!

"We Real Cool"

See page 1403 in The American Tradition in Literature, Volume II, 10e

See page 1777 in The American Tradition in Literature, Shorter Edition, 10e

• Many would argue that a poem cannot be fully appreciated until it is heard read aloud. To hear this poem read by the author herself, follow this link and click on the speaker icon.

• Few can claim the insight into a poem that the poet herself can. To see this notion in practice, read this interview with Brooks on her poem "We Real Cool."

"The Bean Eaters"

See page 1403 in The American Tradition in Literature, Volume II, 10e

See page 1776 in The American Tradition in Literature, Shorter Edition, 10e

• This is the titular poem in Gwendolyn Brooks' famous poetry collection of 1960. Though she had won the Pulitzer Prize in 1949 for Annie Allen, The Bean Eaters did much to solidify her reputation as a great poet. To learn more about Brooks, her career, her writing, and in particular The Bean Eaters, click on this link.