Critical Appreciation - The Little Black Boy - William Blake - Asad Imran Notes

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My Mother bore me in the southern wild,

And I am black, but O! my soul is white;

White as an angel is the English child:

But I am black as if bereav’d of light.

My Mother taught me underneath a tree

And sitting down before the heat of day,

She took me on her lap and kissed me,

And pointing to the east began to say.

Look on the rising sun: there God does live

And gives his light, and gives his heat away.

And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive

Comfort in morning joy in the noonday.

And we are put on earth a little space,

That we may learn to bear the beams of love,

And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face

Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

For when our souls have learn’d the heat to bear

The cloud will vanish we shall hear his voice.

Saying: come out from the grove my love & care,

And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice.

Thus did my mother say and kissed me,

And thus I say to little English boy.

When I from black and he from white cloud free,

And round the tent of God like lambs we joy:

Ill shade him from the heat till he can bear,

To lean in joy upon our fathers knee.

And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair,

And be like him and he will then love me.

Background Information

The Little Black Boy is one of the famous poems written by a British poet, William Blake. The poem was published in the collection Songs of Innocence in 1789. Evident from the title, the poem raised the issue of slavery and racism against the black people at that time when slavery was legal and the blacks were deprived of their basic human rights. They were leading a miserable life. They were treated far below animals. The poem features, well, a little black boy who shows his desire to be treated as equal as his white 'friends'.

Critical Analysis - The Little Black Boy

Development of Situation

The poem opens on the little black boy, giving a little back story about his origins. He tells us that his mother bore him in the Southern portion of Africa. He, then emphasizes that he only has black skin but his soul is white, just like that of an English child. Then, he tells the readers that his mother brought him up underneath a tree while facing the heat of the sun. His mother states that the sun is an equal blessing of God that shines its rays on all creatures, giving them comfort and joy. Then, she asserts that his black body is like a cloud or a shady tree that is to provide shelter. His mother is hopeful that their clouds shall wither away with the blessings of God.

Then the boy speaks to an English boy, suggesting to him that both of them are born free. They should enjoy their lives around the "tent of God". The Little Black Boy shall provide his shade to the White Boy for ensuring God's heat of love. The boy shows his desire to "be like him" so that he might be loved.

Themes

The poem explores the themes that were uncomfortable for the Colonial Lords, Britishers to discuss. The first major theme of this poem is racial equality that the little black boy expects from the white boy, both in this world and the spiritual world that may come after it. It was evident that the Blacks were considered very inferior to their White counterparts. But the poem argues that the black boy is as spiritually pure as the white boy who enjoys more privileges than an African black boy,

And I am black, but O! my soul is white;
White as an angel is the English child:

Another theme of this poem is the temporal identity on earthly life. The poem implicitly suggests that the racial identities of life on this earth are temporary and they bear no significance in the afterlife. It is our conduct that determines our place in the afterlife. The blacks of that time lead miserable life. More misery on earth means a more elevated place in the afterlife. According to this belief, black people shall enjoy a more prosperous life in the afterlife as compared to the whites. But the black person in this poem shows his full support for the white person so that he may be loved not because of his colour, but because of his good deeds.

Literary Devices

Literary devices used in this poem are similes, symbols and enjambments. Simile occurs in this poem when the poet compares a white child with an angel (mostly associated with light) and when children are compared with lambs to showcase their innocence. As for the symbolism, the poem uses the symbol of the colour of the elevation as well as deprivation of social status. The enjambment in this poem continues and connects two lines of the poem as thus,

When I from black and he from white cloud free,
And round the tent of God like lambs we joy.

Setting and Imagery

The main setting of this poem is (an African) tree. The images used in this poem help a reader grasp the idea of Black Boy's desire of racial equality. These images may include like, "underneath a tree", mother kissing her child, "I from black and he from white cloud free", and "bereav’d of light".

Structural Analysis

The poem is made of twenty-eight lines arranged in seven stanzas. Each stanza contains four verses, thus forming a quatrain. The rhyme scheme of this poem is ABAB CDCD EDED FGFG HIHI JKJK LMLM.

Conclusion

A Little Black Boy is Blake's bold move in highlighting the social prejudice against Black people that was observed by the white people of the eighteenth century. The poem artfully highlights the desire of the blacks to be loved and treated humanly.

Critical Appreciation - The Little Black Boy - William Blake