various quotes and contemplations on the poem, we real cool. it’s like, eight lines long. you have no excuse not to read it. and keep this in mind when you do:

The “We”—you’re supposed to stop after the “We” and think about their validity, and of course there’s no way for you to tell whether it should be said softly or not, I suppose, but I say it rather softly because I want to represent their basic uncertainty, which they don’t bother to question every day, of course.

things need not be complicated to be profound. this poem consists of 24 single-syllable words. (36 syllables if you count the setting)

you can also listen to a performance (i guarantee it will be nothing like what you read to yourself) along with some context on the same page.