Point of View

“Old Brooklyn Magic” is written from the second-person point of view using the pronoun “you”. This perspective is usually reserved for experimental short form pieces, including poetry and prose. Here, the poet uses it to bring the reader into the heart of the scene as if they were living it for themself. Within this perspective is a constant tension between the narrator — who in this context is the reader — and the setting. The speaker is “lured” to some temptations (Line 1) and “resist[s]” others (Line 16). This allows the reader to feel this dichotomy in a more intimate and visceral way than they would have with a more conventional first- or third-person voice. It’s only in the final line that this intimacy shifts to a slightly broader omniscient voice: “Brooklyn’s not ready for you to depart yet” (Line 22). This imitates the broadening skyline as...