Gwendolyn Brooks

Gwendolyn Brooks, born in 1917, was a pioneering African American poet who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1950. Her work, influenced by her upbringing in Chicago during the Great Migration, vividly depicted inner-city life and racial segregation. Brooks' early mentors included James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes. Her notable works, such as 'A Street in Bronzeville' and 'Annie Allen', received international acclaim. In the 1960s, Brooks' focus shifted to her African heritage, producing works like 'In the Mecca'. She passed away in 2000, leaving a lasting impact on American literature and inspiring future generations of black writers.

What significant event in Gwendolyn Brooks's early life influenced her literary career?

• Winning a local poetry contest

• Moving to New York City

• Publishing her first poem at age 13

• Meeting Langston Hughes

Which of Gwendolyn Brooks's works won her the Pulitzer Prize?

• The Chicago Defender

• Annie Allen

• In the Mecca

• A Street in Bronzeville

During which cultural movement did Brooks publish her first poetry collection?

• Beat Generation

• Civil Rights Movement

• Chicago Black Renaissance

• Harlem Renaissance

How did Brooks's work change after 1967?

• She stopped writing poetry

• She shifted her focus to African heritage

• She began writing novels

• She focused more on American history

What is one of the themes explored in Brooks's poem 'In the Mecca'?

• Life in a rural community

• The experience of immigrants

• The journey of a soldier

• Life in an overcrowded tenement