The Little Black boy

By William Blake

William Blake (1757-1827) was an English poet, painter, and visionary, whose work combines profound spiritual themes with intense, often mystical imagery. Blake’s unique style blends poetry and visual art, making him a pioneer figure in Romantic literature and art. His work, though underappreciated in his lifetime, is now celebrated for its originality and depth. The poem is included in William Blake’s collection “Songs of Innocence” published in 1789. It deals with the issues of slavery and racism. The poem urges for racial equality, insisting that earthly identity is temporary and that all are worthy of God’s divine love. The poem emphasizes the philosophy of Christ. It also reinforces many negative and outright racist stereotypes that were prevalent at that time.

My mother bore me in the southern wild,
And I am black, but oh my soul is white!
White as an angel is the English child,
But I am black, as if bereaved 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, pointed 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 sunburnt 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 and 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

I’ll shade him from the heat till he can bear
To lean in joy upon our Father’s knee;
And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair,
And be like him, and he will then love me.

First Stanza

In the first stanza, the black boy introduces himself, mentioning that he was born in the southern wild, symbolizing Africa. He acknowledges his black skin but asserts that his soul is white and pure. The juxtaposition of his black skin and white soul highlights the superficial nature of physical differences. The line “White as an angel is the English child” compares the purity of an English child’s soul to an angel, implying innocence and divinity. The very next line “But I am Black, as if bereaved of light” suggests that his blackness is seen as a lack of goodness, reflecting societal prejudices of the time. However, the boy knows that these external differences do not affect the purity of the soul.

Second Stanza

The boy recalls his mother teaching him under a tree, symbolizing natural wisdom and nurturing. Here, the “heat of the day” may refer to the overall attitude of the society towards the Black. However, his mother offers him comfort from this heat (hatred and negativity). She showered her love on him, kissed him, and shared spiritual insights by pointing to the east, where the sun rises, symbolizing new beginnings and divine presence.

Third Stanza

The mother explains to him that God resides in the rising sun, representing His omnipresence and benevolence. God’s light and warmth are given to all creation-flowers, trees, animals, and all human beings indiscriminately. It is not limited to some specific creatures or human beings. It brings joy and comfort for everyone all alike irrespective of their differences of colour or creed.

Fourth Stanza

The mother continues, teaching that our earthly existence is temporary and meant for learning to endure and understand God’s love. She compares their black bodies and sunburnt faces to a cloud or a shady grove, emphasizing that these physical attributes are temporary and not indicative of their true spiritual nature.

Fifth Stanza

The mother reassures her son that once they learn to bear God’s love, their physical differences will disappear. They will hear God’s call to leave the temporary physical world and rejoice in spiritual unity and eternal happiness, like lambs in a golden tent, symbolizing heaven.

Sixth Stanza

In this stanza, the black boy reiterates his mother’s teachings to a little English boy. He envisions a future where both are freed from their physical “clouds” (black and white skin), and together they will joyfully dwell in God’s presence. Here, the idea is that everyone is equal before God and the discriminations that are prevalent in the world on the basis of the color of one’s skin will diminish when we are presented before God.

Seventh Stanza

In the last stanza, Blake illustrates a profound vision of racial harmony and spiritual equality. The black boy sees a future where physical distinctions no longer matter. He envisions a reciprocal relationship where both he and the white boy support and care for each other in God’s presence. This mutual support leads to a deeper bond, love, and unity, emphasizing the poem’s central message of universal brotherhood and the transcendence of superficial differences. Blake’s portrayal is not just about racial equality but also about the spiritual journey toward understanding, compassion, and divine love.