The Rose that Grew from Concrete

The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur (1999)

Published after his death, this book of 72 poems is Tupac Shakur’s only collection of poetry.

The deeply personal poems reveal a tender, gentler side to the rapper. The poems touch on many of the same subjects Tupac rapped about and employ poetic techniques that add musicality to the page.

“Harlem” by Langston Hughes (1951)

This poem written in 1951 by famous African American poet and writer Langston Hughes exhibits many of the same elements in style and subject matter that Tupac tackles in the “The Rose That Grew from Concrete.” The plight of Black people in America, for example, is at the heart of both poems. The simple, conversational style that both poets use is similar, as well as the musicality in the poems.

“In a Station at the Metro” by Ezra Pound (1913)

This is one of the most famous poems by “the father of Modernism,” Ezra Pound. It shows the use of the Imagist tenets that gave way to Modernism such as using no superfluous words, developing an “absolute” or original rhythm that’s not dictated by adherence to poetic meters, and the use of images to convey ideas and feelings.