In the two poems, We Real Cook and Turtle, both writers provide a viewpoint of life. Ryan's Turtle made use of a creature “a turtle” that appears to be an animal that could be useless but can also be quite lovable. He seems to relish ridiculing the turtle as evidenced by how he described it “barely mobile hard roll, a four-oared helmet… Her tack is graceless… she's often stuck up to the axle…She lives below luck level” (Monmouth College, p. 1). Every word that comes out of the writer's pen seems to criticize the turtle and points out its negative side (Cheathouse.com, p. 1)
In direct contrast to Ryan's approach is Brooks “We Real Cool” which talks about real people - the rebel ones. The people we often labeled as real cool because they nary have a care in the world. Unlike most of us, who labored daily to be productive and be able to provide for basic necessities. No, the "real cool people" in Brooks' poem is the antithesis of hard-working and morally upright citizens. Just like Ryan, Brooks' poem stresses the negative aspect of being “real cool”.
The biggest difference between the two poems is in the approach. Brooks starts with positive and vivid depictions of being cool, “We real cool. We Left school..… We
Jazz June” (Coldbacon.com, p.1) Most people find this kind of life enviable. Being able to do what one wants and not what one ought to do without a care is indeed quite enviable. But Brooks pointed out the error of this kind of thinking when the last line of the poem concludes, “We Die soon.” Indeed, Brooks wanted to show that those we think to be “real cool people” are not so cool after all. They may have fast cars, fast women and lead fast lives. But their lives are short-lived because they do not care for anything. They vanish quickly and leave no imprints in the world because when they were alive, they think only of themselves and lead a life of excess.
Ryan, on the other hand, chose an entirely different approach. He started with a negative depiction of the turtle. Pointing out its obvious shortcomings and seem to make fun at the helpless creature. Yet, the last line of the poem pointed out the turtle's perhaps only redeeming value -“Her only levity is patience, the sport of truly chastened things”. Ryan ended the poem on a positive note which is the exact opposite of Brooks' grim prediction of what will happen to "real cool" people and that is they “die soon”. “Die soon” may not necessarily mean physical death but it could be moral, emotional, mental or spiritual death.
Both poems by Ryan and Brooks varying approaches are very effective in dishing out the moral of the poem. Although they differ in methods but they were able to get their messages across. A common theme between these two poems is not judging anything by appearances. Yes, Ryan's turtle seems useless, helpless and unremarkable but her patience makes her truly distinctive. Brooks' “real cool” people may seem to have it all but they are not as enviable as they appeared to be. They "die soon" is Brooks' dismal conclusion because of the emptiness of their lives.
Works Cited:
Cheathouse.com Site. 17 Feb. 2004. A Comparison between Kay Ryan's “Turtle” and G.K. Chesterton's “The Donkey”. Accessed 22 November 2007 <http://www.cheathouse.com/essay/essay_view.php?p_essay_id=30316
>
Coldbacon.com Site. 2007. We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks. Accessed 22 November 2007
<http://www.coldbacon.com/poems/werealcool.html>
Monmouth College Site. 2007. The Turtle by Kay Ryan. Monmouth English Department. Accessed 22 November 2007 <http://department.monm.edu/english/rhale/PastClasses/Eng110S01/Assignments/Final/final.htm>
creatures that seemingly appear to be animals, completely useless in design but endearing in their own ways. These poems are similar in their construction by how they both completely ridicule and shame these animals. In the end, they state the creature's have one redeeming quality. This one quality seems to make up for all the pathetic traits and unfortunate mishaps these animals possess.
The Poem The Donkey by G. K. Chesterton starts out portraying extraordinary creatures and things. Fishes that can fly, bushes of thorn that produce delicious figs, all of these are special, and comparing the Donkey to them, the Donkey seems quite absurd. The speaker
