Why does the poet say, "I would not intrude on him"? Why doesn't he offer him money to buy another ball?
The poet says he would not intrude on him because he does not want to enter a situation where he is not welcome and interrupt the boy's natural process of grieving. The boy is experiencing an ultimate shaking grief, and the poet wants him to learn from this experience on his own.
The poet does not offer him money because money is external and a dime, another ball, is worthless. A new ball cannot replace the memories of his young days linked to the lost ball. By not offering money, the poet allows the boy to learn the epistemology of loss and understand that people must learn to stand up and accept loss.
Explanation
The poet chooses not to intrude or offer money because the boy's loss is not merely about a physical object, but about the memories attached to it. The experience teaches the boy his first sense of responsibility and the reality of loss in a 'world of possessions'. Money cannot buy back what is truly lost, so the boy must learn to cope and stand up on his own.