"We"

"We Real Cool" is a testament to the teenage psyche- "If I do it with my friends, my actions are justified, and it makes what I am doing less bad." The 'we' emphasis is important to the poem's structure: each line ends with we, so that it feels as though the beginning and end of each sentence is "We real cool We." This is an example of the narrator justifying dropping out of school and drinking because his peers are doing it as well. The ending is also important though because two things happen. One is that the poet's voice seems to switch in- there is no 'we' at the end of the last line, just "Die soon." This acts as a warning to their rebellion and their form of friendship- not only is it short term and frivolous, they will find that if they keep up their behavior, they will find themselves alone and possibly dead from their indulgences. Number two is that that narrator’s and poet’s voice seem to strike harmony, as if the narrator has suddenly grown up as they realize the depth and harm of their actions.