Roses from Concrete | Assertion Analysis #3

Tupac Shakur: arguably the most influential rapper in history. Born and raised in East Harlem, New York, Shakur grew up in a life of poverty and crime. In his poem, “Rose from Concrete”, he brings the idea that although you make it, become the best of the best, reaching this “American Dream” people will always look to your background to judge who you are.

In this poem, Shakur presents a rose that has miraculously grown out of concrete. Though seeming impossible, and no matter how damaged the rose may be, it still grew. With the quote, “When… some ghetto kid grow(s) out of the dirtiest circumstance, all you can talk about is my dirty rose... “ The torn up, dirty appearance of the rose is more distracting than the nearly impossible fact that it grew through the concrete. Earlier in the poem, Shakur states “... even if it had messed up petals… you would marvel at just seeing a rose grow through concrete.” Showing that this rose can be accepted by people, but will always stand out given its’ past. The use of a rose in comparison to someone who grew from a bad situation showed how different the two situations are. Where a rose through concrete is more amazing than someone overcoming their past. This is shown in the last sentence of the poem, “You can’t even see that I’ve come up from that.” When people can look past a rose through concrete, it seems as though people can’t look past a person with baggage.

In this poem, Shakur uses analogy, imagery, and symbolism. In the early stages of the poem, he presents analogy in connecting that a rose to concrete is analogous to a person from a bad past reaching for the American Dream. Within the entire poem, Shakur’s comparisons are emphasized by the use of imagery in drawing a picture of a rose, something beautiful, graceful even. That rose growing through something so hard and inhibiting as concrete. A miracle. This event symbolizing the journey that a person goes through when trying for this “American Dream”, and the hardships, physical or mentally, that they go through. This tattered rose that symbolizing the strength and perseverance that makes up this person.

To get his message across, Shakur mainly utilizes pathos. This strong emotional appeal can be seen in his choice of words and descriptions. Evoking anger, sadness, frustration even. With Tupac arguably being the most influential rapper in history, his use of ethos was shown in him simply writing this poem. Conveying his thoughts to a larger audience.

Coming from a lower-middle class family, this poem helped me and other readers in similar situations understand what may come to be our future. The future that our pasts can and will define us as we venture into the world.