juxtaposing the black boy & the bullet

While Smith does not explicitly state their political beliefs, this poem is uncompromising in its support for the belief that Black lives matter. This can certainly be inferred by studying the author and their other work and public statements, but the poem itself also supports the interpretation.

This starts with the title. Smith uses the words “black boy” in the title. This is a deliberate choice that serves two functions. The first function is to elicit pathos in the reader. By using “boy” instead of “man,” Smith conjures the image of a child. For most people, the juxtaposition of a child and a bullet is tense. Children are associated with innocence and life, and a bullet is designed to kill. Especially in a country familiar with mass shootings at schools and where children dying at the hands of guns is not entirely uncommon, this juxtaposition automatically engages the reader. An avid reader of poetry might see this juxtaposition and make a connection to Songs of Innocence and Experience (1789)—William Blake’s poems that juxtapose contrasting images, including several that center children.

The second purpose of the word “boy” is more cultural. Throughout American history, African Americans have often had to endure the degrading experience of having their name replaced by the word “boy” by White people as a sign of disrespect.