Lynda Brooks The Boy Died In My Alley

Brooks’ “The Boy Died in My Alley” is written as dialogue between police and the speaker, who are discussing the death of a young boy. Lynda Koolish sees Brooks’ poem not only as an account of the boy’s death, but also as a source of insight into “the issue of individual transformation” when one is exposed to such violence (citation). Koolish believes the boy’s death, like that of other African American boys, was a “secondary [cause] to racism, poverty, powerlessness, and despair” (citation). The speaker, as recognized by Koolish, feels a sense of “accountability, not self-indulgent guilt” and “it is that accountability” that “transforms the waste of a young man's life into not only the hope for a different world but a call to action” (citation). …show more content…
Through closer reading, one would recognize that the speaker feels an immense sense of guilt and believes, somewhat, that they are just as responsible for the death of the boy as the actual killer. Brooks’ “The Boy Died in My Alley” depicts a tragedy far beyond the particular incident described. The poem explores the complex internal battle of the speaker, who feels at fault for not responding to the ever-growing violence. Brooks is communicating a message about moral obligation and the haunting sensation caused by “knowledgeable unknowing” (citation). Ultimately, the speaker’s overwhelming sense of guilt serves as the foundation for change and the desire to