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“A Sunset of the city”

Poem by: Gwendolyn Books Analysis by: Nick Arnold. “A Sunset of the city”. About the Author: Gwendolyn Brooks. Born in Topeka, Kansas on June 7, 1917 Died in Chicago on December 4, 2000 Family moved to downtown Chicago

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“A Sunset of the city”

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  1. Poem by: Gwendolyn Books Analysis by: Nick Arnold “A Sunset of the city”

  2. About the Author: Gwendolyn Brooks • Born in Topeka, Kansas on June 7, 1917 • Died in Chicago on December 4, 2000 • Family moved to downtown Chicago • Began writing as a preteen and published her first poem at age 13 in a children’s magazine • By age 16 she had published over 75 poems

  3. About the Author (Cont.) • Graduated from Wilson Junior College • Wrote sonnets, ballads, and free verse poems • Sent these poems to The Chicago Defender, an African American newspaper • 2nd book, “Annie Allen” published in 1949 won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize • 1st African American to win the Pulitzer Prize

  4. “A Sunset of the City” • 1st published in 1963 in Brook’s self published: Selected Poems • Characterizes a woman reflecting on her life as she realizes it is coming to an end • Free Verse

  5. Explication of “A Sunset of the City” Lines 1-5 • “Already I am no longer looked at with lechery or love. • My daughters and sons have put me away with marbles and dolls, / Are gone from the house. • My Husband and lovers are pleasant and somewhat polite / And night is night” • - Once a young and attractive woman • - Now she is old and unappealing • Symbol: “marbles and dolls” • Her children have grown up and left her alone • Her husband is also gone • “Night is night” symbolizes that it does not matter her relationship with others, the sun is setting on her life

  6. Explication of “A Sunset of the City” (Cont.) Lines 6-9 • “It is real chill out, The genuine thing • I am not deceived, I do not think it is still summer • Because the sun stays and the birds continue to sing” • - The weather is getting colder • metaphor for her coming death • She is not fooled into thinking that she is still young • The world goes on regardless of her ages

  7. Explication of “A Sunset of the City” (Cont.) Lines 10-12 • “It is summer-gone that I see, it is summer-gone. • The sweet flowers indrying and dying down, • The grasses forgetting their blaze and consenting to brown” • She knows she is getting old • The flowers are dying and the grass is changing color • Symbol for hair changing color to grey

  8. Explication of “A Sunset of the City” (Cont.) Lines 13-16 • “It is real chill out. The fall crisp comes. • I am aware there is winter to heed. • There is no warm house • That is filled with my need.” • “It is real chill out” is repeated here. It emphasizes the coming winter and the woman realizing her coming death • Winter is symbolic for death • The woman does not have a warm house to survive the impending winter

  9. Explication of “A Sunset of the City” (Cont.) Lines 17-20 • “I am cold in this cold house • Whose washed echoes are tremulous down lost halls. • I am a woman, and dusty, standing among new affairs. • I am a woman who hurries through her prayers.” • Echoes symbolize her memories, only being echoes of what they once were • The halls are empty • Dusty symbolizes her remaining idle and being unused • She is outdated • prays in hopes of getting into heaven

  10. Explication of “A Sunset of the City” (Cont.) Lines 21-27 • Accepts her fate • Realizes the relief in her death and welcomes it as “dear relief • “communion with master shore” her communing with God after death • Dual dilemma or withering away and slowly dying or a quick suicidal death • Maybe she was praying to be forgiven of her sins or forgive the suicide • “Tin intimations of a quiet core to be my • Desert and my dear relief • Come: there shall be such islanding from grief, • And small communion with the master shore. • Twang they. And I incline this ear tin, • Consult a dual dilemma. Whether to dry • In humming pallor or to leap and die.”

  11. Explication of “A Sunset of the City” (Cont.) Line 28 • “Somebody muffed it? Somebody wanted to joke. • “Muffed” implies a mistake • Somebody might have thought life is a joke • Someone might have ignored the signs of a suicidal person

  12. Bibliography • Brooks, Gwendolyn. "A Sunset of the City." By Gwendolyn Brooks : The Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. • "Gwendolyn Brooks." : The Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. • "Gwendolyn Brooks Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. • Suttor, Marijane. "Poetry Analysis: A Sunset of the City, by Gwendolyn Brooks." Helium. Helium, 25 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. • Watkins, Mel. "In Memoriam: Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000)." The Black Scholar 1st ser. 31 (2001): 51-54. ProQuest. Web. 24 Apr. 2013

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