“The Little Black Boy” is a popular poem that was written by William Blake and published in the year 1789 as a part of “Songs of Innocence”. In this seven stanza poem, a young African American boy narrates his story and describes about his black identity. The poem was written in an era when slavery was widely practiced in the United States of America and it was legal too. This paper proposes a discussion on the poem “The Little Black Boy” and analyses the message that is conveyed through the poem.
A young and innocent African American child compares himself with a white boy of his age and explains why his colour is black. Since the poem is narrated by a young innocent boy, the dictum of the poem is simple and decent. The young boy convinces his white friend that due to exposure to the sun, he is black. Narrator innocently expects that people will give him the same treatment that white boy gets. Reading the poem may give an impression that it is anti-racism or anti slavery but it is not the complete truth. Equality among human beings is very significant message that the author gives through this poem. The narrator considers his black colour as negative, but after his mother persuades him, he understands that god has made everybody equal. There is also a portrayal of Christian doctrine in the poem and author gives the message of equality through this portrayal. The author suggests that sun pours its rays on every human being without discriminating and similarly god treats people without any discrimination on the basis of colour (Blake 9).
Work Cited
Blake, William. Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Stilwell, KS: Digireads.com Publishing, 2005.
