The Rose that Grew from Concrete

 

(Picture from Goodreads.com)

1.       Bibliography

Shakur, Tupac. 1999. THE ROSE THAT GREW FROM CONCRETE. New York, NY: MTV BOOKS.
              ISBN: 0-671-02844-8

2.       Plot Summary

This book is a collection of poems written by Tupac Shakur when he was 19. This collection contains more than 100 poems that tell of his life, feelings, and deepest thoughts. Shakur’s enigmatic life and candor made him a great recoding artist and his words flow across the page in passion.

 

Tupac was young, so many of his poems were about love, heartbreak, romance, women, friendship, and anger. These are emotions everyone feels, so connecting with Tupac’s poems are easy for young people (or anyone) to connect with.

 

Tupac never published these himself, instead left them with his manager who, with permission from his family, published them after his death.

 

3.       Critical Analysis

The book may contain over 100 poems, but the reader gets so much more than that. On the left hand page are images of the original poems in Shakur’s hand writing. Through this you can see changes, rage, love, and images he chose to put down while recording his inner thoughts on the page. On the right-hand side are the typed version that is hardly changed from his original.

 

Small details stand out about his writing. He would draw an actual eye in place of “I.” He would also scratch out words he didn’t like or wanted to change, showing the reader his creative process. It is unclear if Tupac wanted these poems to be released, but leaving them with his manager, and the fact that he was an artist and shared his life with the world, means he probably would have been happy to have people connect with his words.

 

The fact that these poems were raw, unedited, and incomplete, helps the reader feel a stronger connection. You can feel his anger, his love, and his frustrations in the moment as his words get bigger, or smaller, or he draws pictures on the page. Seeing his handwriting instead of just typed words, can show more than someone would assume. Depending on our mood, handwriting can appear different and Tupac’s surely did.  

 

4.       Awards/ Reviews

From 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.
Susan Salpini, Purcellville Library, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

 

5.       Connections

For readers that were a fan of 2Pac’s music, reading his poems can bring a whole new experience to who this rapper was.

 

Teacher’s can use these poems for analysis in class between his songs vs poems.

 

Students interested in poetry may also enjoy this book, as well as students interested in song writing. This can help them see there just writing down your thoughts and ideas can be beautiful.