Point of View

There is more than one point of view used in "The Rose That Grew from Concrete." For the majority of the work, the point of view is first person. First person in poetry is common since it allows the poet to convey a certain level of subjectivity and emotion that would otherwise not be possible. Considering Shakur's depth of emotion and bevy of experiences regarding relationships, success, failure, poverty and violence, using the first person is a logical and correct choice to convey the poet's feelings and ideas.

The first person is also interesting in regards to the opinions based on historical facts. Shakur has definite opinions on the lives and actions of various civil rights activists which may or may not mirror the events as they happened.

The third person point of view is used in several poems that do not require as much subjectivity...