FREE ESSAY ON EXPLICATION OF GWENDOLYN BROOK'S "A SUNSET OF THE CITY"

EXPLICATION OF GWENDOLYN BROOK'S "A SUNSET OF THE CITY"

Gwendolyn Brooks: Explication of "A Sunset Of The City"
"A Sunset Of The City" is full of visual imagery and rhyming. The poem produces a
depressed and sad tone. Throughout the six stanzas, Gwendolyn Brooks switches back and
forth between the different characteristics. In my opinion, this poem is about a mother
who has raised her children in the same house for years and years. She describes the
city, atmosphere and how her children out-grew her. Everything seems to change, her kids,
her husband, where she lives, the seasons, but not her. It is almost as if she's longing
for the past. 
The first stanza has imagery. For example, "My daughters and sons have put me away with
marbles and dolls," after reading that line, a visual picture is imprinted in one's head
of little children putting their toys away. I think that Brooks is trying to get the
point across that the mother's children have grown up and put away what they have once
adored, including her. 
In the second stanza, the season has changed to autumn and the mother feels as if she's
stuck in the spring or summertime. Everything is moving too quickly for her and she feels
left out. There is also imagery in this stanza where it's said that "Because sun stays
and birds continue to sing." This makes me picture a large sun lighting up the sky with
birds flying high in the sky.
Once again, in the third stanza, the season has changed. Imagery plays an important role
in this stanza because the "sweet flowers" and "blazing grass" refer to the mother's
children changing. It states that the flowers were once sweet but are now dying, and the
grass once blazed but it's turning brown. 
The fourth stanza is very similar to the second stanza. It's a new season, but as the
years go by the mother becomes extremely lonely and depressed without the love of her
children. "I am aware there is winter to heed. There is no warn house that is fitted with
my need." Wintertime symbolizes her courageous steps in life without her children around.
She recognizes she's on her own now and attempts to improve her life.
In the fifth stanza, the mother almost seems to become delirious. "..Washed echoes are
tremulous down lost halls," She starts to hear voices of her children once playing in the
house, but are obviously no longer around. "I am woman, and dusty, standing among new
affairs," the mother realizes that she is becoming old. I think Brooks uses the word
"dusty" to symbolize the mother as an old "toy" put away a long time ago with the marbles
and dolls.
The last stanza is different than the entire poem. I think the mother has finally taken
into consideration that the bond between her and her children isn't as strong as it used
to be. The mother is filled with grief and confusion. "Consult a dual dilemma. Whether to
dry in humming pallor or to leap and die." It seems like she is left with a choice in
life whether to live the rest of it or "die" in the heart of her kids just like their
most prized possessions did.