Graced with humor, creativity and sarcasm, the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks lured Cammie Neeley into a world she had never encountered Friday night.

Neither reading or listening to poetry is one of Neeley’s favorite hobbies. As a matter of fact, she really does not like poetry and only reads it when it is assigned in class.

But, when Neeley, a sophomore in social work from Chicago, wrote a book report on Brooks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, she appreciated her realism.

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So, she attended a forum sponsored by the Black History Month Committee Friday night in the Lesar Law Building Auditorium where Brooks read her poetry. That is when Neeley became enchanted with the poet’s delivery of her verse.

I like the way she not only read her poetry, but the creativity she uses to describe things, Neeley said. She is an outstanding person. She is one of the poetry writers I honor in spite that I’m not a poetry fan.

Brooks began writing poetry when she was 7 years old, sending poems to local Chicago newspapers. In 1950, she won a Pulitzer Prize for her poem, Annie Allen. She has received two Guggenheim Fellowships and has served as Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress.

The audience of about 250 crammed into the auditorium seats as Brooks charmed and provoked thought with her diverse poetry. The lines of her poetry sprang from the subjects of love, slavery and child abuse.

Among the poems Brooks read were Family Pictures, Short-Hand Possible, We Real Cool and Uncle Seagram.

Uncle Seagram is a poem that relives a young boy’s childhood spent with his uncle. Brooks’ voice rumbled as the child’s words flowed out into the audience. Then a sense of uneasiness filtered the room as she made it evident what the young boy had experienced sexual abuse.

Excuse me if anything sounds harsh or annoying, Brooks said. That’s what every poet should do tell the truth, and what you know to be the truth.

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Zach Peters, a freshman in radio and television from Oceanside, Calif., had never heard of Brooks before Friday night. But, she has definitely left an impression as being one of the best poets he has ever known.

I came in very objectively just to see what I could learn, he said. It was a very candid presentation. She talked about everything from love, ugliness, racism to child abuse. It was kind of shocking to hear that poem about child abuse.

As Brooks’ poetry became famous during the 1940s and 1950s, she, surprisingly, did not receive much criticism for the realism she incorporated into her poems.

Because she had the support of her parents, she was never discouraged.

I hate to say this because it sounds so self-serving, but I didn’t have any (criticism), Brooks said. After my mother told me I was going to be a poet that’s all I needed to know. I kept notebooks, which I still have. I was just so happy to express myself.

Kathryn Ward, a sociology professor, brought three children along with her to hear Brooks’ poetry. She said it is important for young poets to listen and take notes from Brooks to guide their future as poets.

It’s a great opportunity for people to hear the way she reads, she said. It gets the young people engaged and lets them know that they are somebody. Poetry is increasingly becoming the voice for African-Americans.

I try to encourage all my classes to read poetry. And I like to use a lot of poetry in the classroom because there’s some cultural wisdom that you just don’t get in textbooks.

Before leaving, Brooks signed of some of her books, including Maud Martha, To Disembark, and Blacks.

She also left a few words of advice for up-and-coming poets that she has followed.

[Poetry] doesn’t have to be all neat and perfect, but I do believe in revision, Brooks said. I don’t want to sound like any other poet. I want to sound Gwendolynian.