Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Whose voice and opinions come through in the poem? How does Brooks create a persona for the pool players that both sounds like them and sounds like someone criticizing them?
- Why does Brooks put the word "We" at the end of almost every line? What effect does this have on the way you read the poem?
- To what extent do you think your reading of the poem is influenced by stereotypes? Does Brooks acknowledge or undermine these stereotypes in any way?
- Do the pool players seem like good or bad people? Would you want to hang out with them?
- Does the poem romanticize "sin" or criticize it? Does it have kind of a "boys will be boys" tone?