Bibliographic data
Shakur, Tupac. The Rose That Grew from Concrete. New York: Pocket Books, 2008.
Critical analysis
This is an amazing book of urban poetry by the deceased rapper, Tupac (2pac) Shakur. This collection of very personal poetry from the rapper was published after his early death.
These 72 poems were written from the time he was nineteen years old. On the facing page, the poem is typed out. It is difficult for some to read some of Tupac’s poems, as they were not always written in complete words. He drew an eye for “I,” the number two for “to” and so forth.
Tupac’s mother Afeni Shakur wrote an acknowledgement in the preface of the book of his poetry. One can truly feel the sadness and hopelessness of a young black male. He is also a child of a single mother.
The lyrics to his rap songs are more negative than his poems. There are many emotional poems about heartbreak, crack destroying a relationship, government issues, love, racism, God, and even poems about Van Gogh and Marilyn Monroe. He covers the gamete of relationship issues and issues that involve the environment in which he grew up in.
This collection of Tupac’s poetry is raw, emotional, and sincere. It will allow readers to see a different side of the well-known ruthless rapper that most are more accustomed to. Sprinkled throughout the book are black and white photographs of the rapper at different stages of his short life. It is a great collection for those reluctant readers that fear jumping into poetry because they are afraid they will not understand it.
Shakur, Tupac. The Rose That Grew from Concrete. New York: Pocket Books, 2008.
Critical analysis
This is an amazing book of urban poetry by the deceased rapper, Tupac (2pac) Shakur. This collection of very personal poetry from the rapper was published after his early death.
These 72 poems were written from the time he was nineteen years old. On the facing page, the poem is typed out. It is difficult for some to read some of Tupac’s poems, as they were not always written in complete words. He drew an eye for “I,” the number two for “to” and so forth.
Tupac’s mother Afeni Shakur wrote an acknowledgement in the preface of the book of his poetry. One can truly feel the sadness and hopelessness of a young black male. He is also a child of a single mother.
The lyrics to his rap songs are more negative than his poems. There are many emotional poems about heartbreak, crack destroying a relationship, government issues, love, racism, God, and even poems about Van Gogh and Marilyn Monroe. He covers the gamete of relationship issues and issues that involve the environment in which he grew up in.
This collection of Tupac’s poetry is raw, emotional, and sincere. It will allow readers to see a different side of the well-known ruthless rapper that most are more accustomed to. Sprinkled throughout the book are black and white photographs of the rapper at different stages of his short life. It is a great collection for those reluctant readers that fear jumping into poetry because they are afraid they will not understand it.
Excerpt:
The Rose That Grew from Concrete
~Autobiographical ~
Did u hear about the rose that grew from a crack
in the concrete
Proving nature's laws wrong it learned 2 walk
without having feet
Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams
it learned 2 breathe fresh air
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else even cared!
(p. 3)
Practical suggestion
http://www.poetryvisualized.com/media/1530/Tupac_Poem_By_Nikki_Giovanni_-_The_Rose_That_Grew_From_Concrete/
Have students write a campaign for D.A.R.E, but using poems or haikus. Use Shakur’s “U R Ripping Us Apart!!!” poem about the drug, crack, as an example.
http://www.2paclegacy.com/
External assessments
VOYA
[The collection of poems] might allow the reader to see the hopelessness that the author felt as a young black male, a poet who thought he had to be tough to survive and whose posturing killed him. It is strongly recommended that librarians and teachers read his rap lyrics if they have not already done so. Shakur's lyrics are currently posted on the Internet at http://www.tupac.net/lyrics. After reading this poetry collection, the raps are not only frightening, they are also sad. To paraphrase the poster from the United Negro College Fund, a mind is, indeed, a terrible thing to waste.
School Library Journal
YA-A collection of poetry written by the rapper between 1989 and 1991, before he became famous. The poems are passionate, sometimes angry, and often compelling. Selections are reproduced from the originals in Shakur's handwriting, personalized by distinctive spelling and the use of ideographs (a drawing of an eye for I, etc.), and complete with scratch outs and corrections. With the exception of "In the Event of My Demise," all of the pieces are accompanied by typed text, which leaves his spelling intact. Some poems are also accompanied by his drawings. A few black-and-white photographs appear throughout. A preface by Shakur's mother, a foreword by Nikki Giovanni, and an introduction by his manager, Leila Steinburg, in whose writing group the poems were written, complete this unique volume.
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