The Rose that Grew from

Concrete Analysis

By: Alexa Hernandez Tupac Shakur

1971- 1996
Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk without having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

Tupac Shakur
Summary
The poem is about a person rising out of ‘concrete’ or a poor environment and achieving
greatness despite the circumstances against him. He proved nature's law wrong where the
law was that no one can come from the ghetto and be something. With no support, he was
able to stand out from the rest because of his hard work and his hopefulness. We later
connect the poem to the author's life and see he is describing himself as the rose and his
inspiration to overcome challenges.

Literary Devices
The Author uses...
Personification: Using abstract ideas to
represent human form. Examples in the poem
are ‘walk’, ‘dreams’, and ‘breathe.
Symbolism: Artistic expression used in poems
to express mystical ideas. The rose symbolizes
a person or Tupac and the concrete from which
their ‘growing’ from are the barriers or the
hardships.

Metaphor: A figure of speech that describes an

object as not entirely true but helps explain the
idea. The rose is someone coming out of the
concrete or the ghetto and overcoming the fears
and negativity around him.
Themes of the poem
● Optimism
○ “Hopefulness and confidence about the
future or the successful outcome of
something.”
■ “Providing nature's law wrong” No
one believed in it happening but it
did.
● Endurance
○ “The ability to sustain a prolonged stressful
effort or activity”
■ “When no one else ever cared” He
never gave up despite the barriers.
● Determination
○ “firmness of purpose”
■ “By keeping its dreams, it learned to
breathe fresh air” Kept its dreams
no matter what.
● Independence
○ “Not influenced or controlled by others in
matters of opinion, conduct, etc”
■ ”The rose that grew from concrete”
It prospered by itself.