Bibliography

Shakur, T. (1999). The Rose That Grew From Concrete. New York, NY. Pocket Books: A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 

Plot Summary 

Tupac Shakur shared the first set of poems that addressed the struggles and hardships of his childhood. The other thirty-three poems addressed his romantic and love interests. The next thirteen poems addressed politics, racism and the dedication of his mom and all mothers. He also wrote about the struggle with drugs and perseverance.In the last nine poems he expressed the injustices, evil and hate that he witnessed during that time in his young age.  

Critical Analysis

Tupac Shakur was able to express his thoughts and feelings through this set of poems (The Rose That Grew From Concrete). In his first set of poems he was able to capture his feeling at the time he was writing. His language sets the mood and tone. The mood he expresses is sadness and frustration. The tone he expresses in these first poems is one of anger and despair. As I read these poems, I was able to visualize his pain and anger. 

In the next set of poems (Nothing can Come Between Us) he was able to express his romantic side. His mood changed for this set of poetry. The mood was more subtle and loving. Some of these poems were also devoted to finding love, but also losing it. His emotions and thoughts were clearly expressed in these poems. The Last set of poems were dedicated to freedom and justice. In these poems he was able to express his frustration with politics during his adulthood.He was able to help me visualize some events that happened during that time of his life (For Mrs. Hawking: In Memory of Yusef Hawkins). 

In the Last set of poems (Liberty Needs Glasses) he expressed his thoughts about the law and justice during this time of his life. He was expressing his frustration with the justice system. In the last poem (In the Event of My Demise) I feel he was predicting his death, but it was clear that he remained positive, even though his life was filled with hardships and sorrow. I was able to feel and visualize the humanity in Tupac Shakur by reading his poems.    

Strengths: All the poems seem to convey a message. The poems expressed different moods and tones. The reader is able to make a mental image of what was going on during the time he wrote the poems. 

Weakness: In his writing he used numbers  and the eye symbol to convey a word. It was a little hard to read. 

Review excerpt (SLJ)

https://blogs.slj.com/adult4teen/2014/10/15/poetry-from-the-streets/

October 15, 2014 by Mark Flowers