Final answer:
The controlling image in Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool" is 'die soon,' reflecting the eventual consequences of the characters' cool and rebellious life choices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The controlling image in the poem "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks is D. die soon. This image encapsulates the poem's exploration of youthful insurgency and the potential consequences of living a reckless lifestyle.
The use of this image is profound because it presents the irony and ultimate cost of the characters' cool demeanor.
The gang's actions, which include dropping out of school and lurking late, are all done in the spirit of coolness, but these choices are also entangled with a grim foreshadowing of their premature mortality.
By highlighting the stark reality of death as the outcome of their choices, Brooks starkly contrasts the realities of life choices against the fleeting, rebellious sense of invincibility that often characterizes youth.
The poem's format, which breaks conventional syntax and employs enjambment, adds further emphasis to the group's collective identity ('We') and the impact of their chosen path.