Gwendolyn Brooks

Ms. brooks has the most deepest poems (I believe) out here. I recently read some of her poems and deciphered that the most meaningful poem to me was "to be in love" It expresses feelings of the woman being in love, it portrays the beauty of a man and a woman in ultimate togetherness. She was born June 7, 1917, child of Keziah and David Brooks in Topeka, Kansas. Her mother soon discovered her natural talents of writing when she was just seven. She was very shy as a child and throughout her adult years as well. She was very anti-social and was not good at making friends. She kept to her self which often gave her more time to create her poetry. After graduating from high school she went on to Wilson Junior College and graduated in 1936. In 1939 she was married to Henry Blakeley and they had two children, Henry junior and Nora Blakeley. In 1945 Gwendolyn Brooks' first book entitled "A Street In Bronzeville" was published and what a success it was. Sadly, she passed on at the age of 83 Sunday December 3, 2000. Despite that, her poetry still speaks to me beyond her grave, especially" to be in love" :


To be in love Is to touch with a lighter hand.
In yourself you stretch, you are well. You look at things Through his eyes
. A cardinal is red. A sky is blue.
Suddenly you know he knows too.
He is not there but You know you are tasting together The winter, or a light spring weather.
His hand to take your hand is overmuch. Too much to bear.
You cannot look in his eyes Because your pulse must not say What must not be said.
When he Shuts a door- Is not there_ Your arms are water.
And you are free With a ghastly freedom. You are the beautiful half Of a golden hurt.
You remember and covet his mouth To touch, to whisper on. Oh when to declare Is certain Death! Oh when to apprize Is to mesmerize, To see fall down, the Column of Gold, Into the commonest ash.