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Some of GB‘s most stirring works are her Messages To The World. There are so many Quotables to be found in her poetry. Lines and phrases that make you stand a little straighter or see people a little differently. Words that might even help you plan your life! But these ‘messages’ were specifically designed to be Instruction. Examples include: “Black Love”, “Sermon on the Warpland”, “Paul Robeson”, “To Prisoners”, “To The Young Who Want To Die”, “Aurora” and “Infirm”. 

GB dedicated a lot of her care, concern and ink to youth. And while the following poem can be meaningful to any age it, like “To The Young…“, is dedicated to one segment of the population, beginning with her own children.

POINTS TO PONDER

🔹 In “Speech…“ Ms. Brooks creates several hyphenated compound words to describe negative people. Try creating your own. 

🔹 What did GB mean when she wrote:

         “Even if you are not ready for day

          it cannot always be night."

🔹 Are you moved by this poem? 

   What might it inspire you to do?

🔹 Find some of the other poems mentioned in this post.  

   Which one is the most relevant to you?

SPEECH TO THE YOUNG

SPEECH TO THE PROGRESS-TOWARD

(Among them Nora and Henry III)

Say to them,

say to the down-keepers,

the sun-slappers,

the self-soilers,

the harmony-hushers,

it cannot always be night."

You will be right.

For that is the hard home-run.

Live not for battles won.

Live not for the-end-of-the-song.

Live in the along.

--Gwendolyn Brooks

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