Enjambment's Real Cool

In "We Real Cool," Gwendolyn Brooks uses the poetic element of enjambment. Why do you think she does this, and how does it affect the meaning of the poem?

The poet Gwendolyn Brooks uses enjambment to create a hard hitting poem about seven boys whose life choices lead them down a spiralling path of bad consequences. The use of enjambment in this poem forces readers to speed up as they read the poem, giving them the feeling of time speeding up. Because of this, her poem serves as a strong message to kids to stay in school and make good choices, because if you do not it can lead to unwanted consequences very quickly. The boys felt they were too "cool" to be in school and they could prosper by playing pool, drinking, and jazzing. Their actions quickly conclude with their early deaths as the poet states in th last line. Rhyming also plays a big role in aiding the flow of the poem allowing it to be read more smoothly. The enjambment allows the readers to experience this powerful message at a rapid pace with but a few well placed words.