Section 1 Summary

"The Rose That Grew from Concrete" by Tupac Shakur begins with an autobiographical poem of the same name. The poem speaks of a rose that grew in the crack of concrete and how it proved nature wrong because it learned to walk without feet. The lack of care and the surroundings were not a hindrance to the rose's growth because there was something stronger present that could urge it onward and upward. Shakur claims that because the rose kept its dreams, it was able to live a long life.

Shakur writes about solitude and how it might help him find his true calling and peace of mind, things which seem to elude the poet. The author speaks of yearning for acceptance and respect from others, presumably in his professional life. The poem refers to a dual personality, two people that live inside the...