Tupac Shakur: The Rose That Grew from Concrete
Tupac Shakur's poem "The Rose That Grew from Concrete" symbolizes his journey of overcoming adversity and thriving in difficult circumstances. Despite facing challenges and lack of support, Tupac's determination and dreams enabled him to flourish independently. The rose represents Tupac himself, while the concrete signifies the tough environment he grew up in. Through his powerful words, Tupac conveys a message of resilience and self-belief, inspiring others to persevere in the face of adversity.
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THE ROSE THAT GREW FROM CONCRETE By Tupac Shakur
BACKGROUND Tupac Shakur was an American rapper born in New York. Shakur was affiliated with a gang called the Bloods . He was also involved in a rivalry with other rappers during the 1990s. He died in 1996 as a result of a drive-by shooting. His parents were members of the Black Panthers, which were an organisation who fought for the rights of black people in America and fought against police brutality. They were formed in the 1960s. Tupac was born in prison and had a tough life, constantly moving around. His family were not rich but he was known locally as a child who was trying to be better both academically and creatively.
THE POEM Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk with out having feet. Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.
INITIAL REACTION 1. What do you think the message of this poem is? 2. Pick two lines from the poem that stand out to you. Why do you think they stand out to you? 3. Propose another title for the poem. Why would you call it this?
ANALYSIS The poem describes Tupac s journey through childhood, growing up and making a name for himself. He tells the reader that he was proving natures law is wrong , meaning that he went down a path that people didn t think he would go down. it learned to walk without having feet tells us that he did not have support from other people. He did this by himself.
ANALYSIS by keeping it s dreams it learned to breathe fresh air . This line is interesting as we learn that his dreams kept him on a good path. By having dreams to aspire to, he was able to remain determined and hard-working. when no one else ever cared re-emphasises the fact that he did this himself without the help of others. The message of this poem is to never give up, regardless of circumstance.
THE ROSE & CONCRETE The rose in this poem is a symbol/metaphor for Tupac himself. A rose is something beautiful that requires looking after. However, in this poem, Tupac tells us that he looked after himself.
THE ROSE & CONCRETE The concrete is a symbol/metaphor for the area in which he lived. Tupac spent a lot of his childhood moving around, but he lived in a lot of rough areas. Concrete is extremely hard this emphasises the idea that the neighbourhood was tough. Flowers do not usually grow from concrete. By using this metaphor, Tupac tells us that he got away from the rough area that he lived in and managed to flourish, like a rose.
THEME: HOPE Hope is the central theme of this poem. Throughout the poem, Tupac tells us that he was faced with adversity and was in a situation where the odds were against him. However, he remained hopeful and focused on his dreams. By keeping his dreams, he learned to stand on two feet . Even though he was young and had to do this alone, Tupac wants readers to know that it is important to fight for yourself and to have hope that you can achieve your dreams.
POETIC TECHNIQUES Symbolism: this is when a poet uses one idea to represent another. In this poem, the rose and concrete symbolise Tupac and the life he was living. Metaphor: a metaphor is a comparison without using like , than , or as . In this poem, the metaphor and symbolism are the same. The rose and concrete are also a metaphor for Tupac and his life/neighbourhood. Alliteration: this is the repetition of consonant sounds. It is used to maintain a beat and make the poem easier to read. In this poem, alliteration can be seen in crack in the concrete and long live . Personification: this is when something non-human is given human qualities. In this poem, The poet personifies the rose saying it can walk , it has dreams , and can breathe .
PAST EXAM QUESTION JUNIOR CYCLE 2022 Q6 Do you believe that poets offer readers hope through their poetry? (35 marks). This question asked you to compare the theme of hope across three poems. For now, answer the question with reference to just this poem for 10 marks. You should refer to: The theme of hope. 2 lines that refer to hope. The techniques in these lines. Your own opinion did it give you hope?
