The Little Black Boy

 P-6 The Little Black Boy

P-6 The Little Black Boy

William Blake

 

Important Stanzas For Comprehension

Note : A complete Answer Key has been given at the end of the stanzas.

Stanza 1.

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,

And I am black, as if bereavd of light.

Questions

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. Who is the ‘I’ in these lines ?

3. What do you understand by : ‘my soul is white ?

4. Write the figure of speech that is used in the following line :

O ! my soul is white; White as an angel ……

Answer:

1. The poem is ‘The Little Black Boy’ and the poet is William Blake.

2. The 'I’ in these lines is the little black boy.

3. The little black boy says that though he is black in body, his soul is pure.

4. Simile.

Stanza 2.

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 noon day.

Questions

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. What do the heat and light of the sun represent ?

3. What is the effect of this heat and light ?

4. Give the words that rhyme in the given stanza.

Answer:

1. The poem is ‘The Little Black Boy’ and the poet is William Blake.

2. The heat and light of the sun represent the warmth of God’s love.

3. God’s heat and light give comfort and joy to flowers, trees, beasts and men.

4. (say — away — day) ; (live — receive).

Stanza 3.

And we are put on earth a little space,

That we may learn to bear the beams of love;

And these black bodies and the sun-burnt face

Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

Questions

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. What does the first line mean?

3. What are we supposed to do while we are on this earth?

4. Write the figure of speech that has been used in the following line :

And these black bodies and the sun-burnt face’.

Answers:

1. The poem is ‘The Little Black Boy’ and the poet is William Blake.

2. The first line means : Our life on the earth is short.

3. Here we are supposed to learn the way of living in the warmth of love.

4. Alliteration.

Stanza 4.

For when our souls have learnt 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.”

Questions

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. What happens when our souls learn to bear the heat ? What heat ?

3. Which cloud will vanish? When ?

4. Write the figure of speech that has been used in the following line :

And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice’.

Answer:

1. The poem is ‘The Little Black Boy’ and the poet is William Blake.

2. When our soul learns to bear the heat (or warmth) of love, we forget all the distinctions of caste, colour and creed. The word ‘heat here refers to the hatred of others.

3. The cloud of our body-consciousness will vanish. It will vanish when we have learnt to live in the warmth of love.

4. Simile.

Stanza 5.

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.

Questions

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. When will the two boys be free from the black and white clouds ?

3. ……. he will then love me.’ Who will love whom? When ?

4. Write the figure of speech that has been used in the following line :

I’ll shade him from the heat, till he can bear’.

Answers:

1. The poem is ‘The Little Black Boy’ and the poet is William Blake.

2. The two boys will be free from the black and white clouds when their souls learn the lesson of love.

3. The white boy will love the black boy when he frees himself of the white cloud over his soul.

4. Alliteration.

1. Who wrote the poem "The Little Black Boy'?

Ans. William Blake.

Q. 2. My soul is white. What does the word 'white' here to?

Ans. To angelic qualities.

 

Q. 3. Is the black child ashamed of being black?

 

Ans. No.

 

Q. 4. Why the English child is called 'an angel’ in the poem?

Ans. Because of his white complexion.

 

Q. 5. What does the rising sun give us?

 

Ans. Light and heat.

 

Q. 6. What do the heat and light of the sun represent?

 

Ans. The warmth of God's love.

 

Q. 7. What are we supposed to do while we are on this earth?

 

Ans. To love all the creatures of God.

 

Q. 8. We shall hear His voice'. Whose voice is referred to here?

Ans. God's voice.

 

Q. 9. Which cloud will vanish according to the black boy's mother?

 

Ans. The cloud of our body consciousness.

 

Q. 10. When will the two boys be free from the black and white clouds!

 

Ans. When their souls learn the lesson of love.

 

Q. 11. What light does this poem throw on the character of the black boy?

Ans. The black boy's heart is full of love.

 

Q. 12. What does the black boy long for?

Ans. For the white boy's love.

 

A1- Because his colour is white and his hair is golden.

 

A2- The rising sun gives us its light and heat.

 

A3- Black bodies are compared to the clouds and the shade of trees.

 

A4- Then the cloud of our black bodies will disappear.

 

A5- When our souls learn to bear the heat.

 

A6-God’s voice tell them to come out from the grove. They are His love and joy. They should play joyfully like little lambs round His tent.

 

A7-The black boy wants to shade the white boy from heat. He wants to win his heart and become his friend.

 

Ex-2 Do you……your

Answers?

 

Ans- The black boy doesn’t have any ill-will against white boy. He wants to shade the white boy from heat. He wants to win his heart and become his friend.

Ex-3 Matching-

1. Angel         English child

2. East              God’s home

3. Sun-burnt face         Black boy

4. Cloud Shady.          Grove

5. Lamb                    Innocent child

Ex-4 Correct figure of speech

1. White as an angle is the English child - Simile

2. And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face. Is but a cloud …….. - Personification

3. And round my golden tent like Lambs rejoice. – Metaphor

 

Main Idea- The poem ‘The Little Black Boy’ is written by William Blake. This is a beautiful poem. It gives us a message of universal brotherhood. God gives His love and warmth equally. The sun gives its light and heat to all. So man should love men of all castes, colours and creeds

 

 

 

6. The Little Black Boy

This poem is written by William Blake. The poem is based on the theme of universal love. A small black boy in the poem believes that God loves every living being equally. His all blessings are for everyone in this universe without any discrimination. He hopes for freedom from any discrimination in the tents of God.