Gwendolyn Brooks

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Student Question

Can we assume the girl in Gwendolyn Brook's "a song in the front yard" is white?

Quick answer:

We cannot assume the girl in Gwendolyn Brooks's "a song in the front yard" is white. The poem primarily highlights social class differences rather than focusing on racial conflict. While Brooks's broader work often addresses racial issues, this poem allows readers to interpret whether social injustices are tied to race or are universal challenges. It suggests that social class disparities, rather than race, are at the forefront of the poem's themes.

Expert Answers

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Not really. Not I, at least.  If anything it mostly depicted the social differences of people, in terms of social class rather than focusing on a racial conflict.

If you put the story in context and read more of Gwendolyn Brooks's poems you may change your impression and re-think the possibility that these differences in social class are proportional to race differences, and to the social opportunities of blacks versus whites during a specific period of time.

Yet, as with all other great poets, Gwendolyn allows the audience to decide for themselves if these social inaccuracies are always inherent to one type of character, or if social injustice is a common malady that could strike anyone, at any time.

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