The Near-Johannesburg Boy and other poems

The Near-Johannesburb Boy and other poems is by Gwendolyn Brooks

Published in Chicago by Third World Press in 1986

Plot: There is no real plot to this series of poems. They are a thematic conglomeration.

Analysis: Gwendolyn Brook's poetry is richly sensational, sometimes highly metaphoric and sometimes not. Some of the poems discuss identity: the speaker either develops identity through conflict and crisis ("The Near-Johannesburg Boy"), praises someone for their life choices ("Whitney Young" and "To Those of My Sisters Who Kept Their Naturals"), or creates a scene where someone sticks out ("The Chicago Picasso, 1986") and the reader discerns what it means to be that outsider. Nearly every poem would require in-depth discussion in order to understand the conflicts at play. Other poems are even broader-scoped than these, dealing with unresolved, unjustified suffering, what it means to be alive (as a human, as opposed to as an animal), the nature of the human spirit, and death.

Teachability: This series of poems is challenging to read. Certainly, it would prove a great hurdle to get through all of them for a middle school class. However, a few poems (like "The Near-Johannesburg Boy" and "Building") are simple enough in format and exciting in content that a middle school class would find them extremely engaging. There are many, many ways in which a book of poetry could be useful in a standard English classroom, especially for thematic, vocabulary, and close-reading building skills.