The Rose that Grew from Concrete

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1999

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Rhyme

One of rap music’s vital components is the exploration and use of rhyme. In this short poem, Tupac gives a taste of his versatility as a rhymer but also his discipline as a writer to not succumb to predictable rhymes or patterns. He makes heavy use of slant and internal rhymes and end rhymes throughout the poem.

The poem consists of eight lines with only two precise hard end rhymes, “concrete” (Line 2) and “feet” (Line 4). Notice even this rhyme is complex, in that Tupac is rhyming a multisyllable word with a monosyllable word. There are also slant or off rhymes that happen at the ends of many lines. A slant rhyme is a type of rhyme where the sounds are not quite exact but have similarities and when read or spoken sound like a rhyme. In this poem, Tupac employs slant rhyme between the words “feet” (Line 4) and “dreams” (Line 5), as well as with words “air” (Line 6) and “cared” (Line 7). As a rapper, Tupac was a master of rhyme, and it shines through in this poem.

Alliteration

Rhyme is not the only poetic device that charges this poem with energy. Alliteration, the repetition of sounds at the beginning of words, also adds rhythm and musicality to the poem. Some of the key moments when Tupac uses alliteration include: “crack in the concrete” (Line 2) and “wrong it / learn to walk without” (Lines 3-4). The effect of the alliteration is added rhythm and energy to the poem. As a spoken poem, alliteration can also be used as a mnemonic devise to remember a line.

Tupac also uses alliteration in two of the longer lines in the poem, and by doing so he allows a place for the poem to be read at quicker speed, making syllables of the longer line still fit. For example, Line 5, “Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,” would be a long, awkward line in the poem if not for the rhyme and the alliteration in the phrase “but by.” These two poetic devices combine in this line to make for a line that can be read with flare, rhythm, and speed if desired. He uses the same technique in the penultimate line, “Long live the rose that grew from concrete” (Line 7). Here there is no rhyme, but the alliteration of “Long live” enables a musical delivery.

Repetition

As a rapper, Tupac was well accustomed to using repetition and understood its power in verse, especially spoken poetry. From the title to opening and ending of the poem, Tupac makes use of repetition to enhance the rhythm and the power of his message. The title, “The Rose That Grew from Concrete,” contains all the words that will be repeated in the poem, beginning with the first and second line, “Did you hear about the rose that grew / from a crack in the concrete?” The title almost repeats nearly the same way, except “a crack in the” is inserted between the word “crack” and “concrete” (Lines 1-2). On a sonic level, the phrase from the title repeats, but it doesn’t do so word for word in a way that could be musically boring. In the final repetition, Tupac returns to the initial “rose that grew from concrete” (Line 7). The repetition is simple, but it’s also complex enough to be sonically pleasing. Also, the repetition strategically placed at the beginning and the end of the poem, while Lines 3-6 do not make use of any repetition at all, but they are heavy in other poetic techniques likes assonance and internal rhyme. The mastery of sound in such a short poem is a testament to Tupac’s creative range.

Extended Metaphor

An extended metaphor is just that—a metaphor extended throughout the body of work. Metaphors can exist in as little as one line, so an extended metaphor takes the image in question, in this poem’s case a neglected rose, and uses that image throughout the work by building on various aspects of the image. Tupac uses the rose, the rose’s thorns, the rose’s growth, and rose symbolism in general to paint a picture of a person who can be fragile and tough and colorful and bold and persevere despite the odds.