2. Biography
William Blake was born in 1757 in London, England. He
began writing at a very early age. He had a “vision” when
he was 10 years old of a tree full of angels. Blake grew to
love gothic art which he incorporated in his work. William
Blake has become a very influential writer after his death
in 1827.
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3. Influences
A lot of Blake’s paintings and poems referenced to the Romantic
movement and the Pre-Romantic movement. He was largely influenced
by the reasoning behind the French and American revolutions. Some
other influences include Jakob Bohme and Emanuel Swedenborg.
Some of Blake’s most popular poems include: “A Cradle Song”, “A Dream”,
“A Little Girl Lost”, “A Song”, “Ah Sunflower”, “A Divine Image”, “Broken
Love”, “A Poison Tree”. He was a very popular writer and painter. Blake
was criticized by many during the 19th century for his works. During
his time on Earth as a writer and painter, he was unrecognized. Now he
is considered to be “far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever
produced.”
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4. Works
Some of Blake’s most popular poems include: “A Cradle Song”,
“A Dream”, “A Little Girl Lost”, “A Song”, “The Little Black
Boy”, “A Divine Image”, “Broken Love”, “A Poison Tree”. He was
a very popular writer and painter. Blake was criticized by
many during the 19th century for his works. During his
time on Earth as a writer and painter, he was unrecognized.
Now he is considered to be “far and away the greatest
artist Britain has ever produced.”
Thursday, March 27, 14
5. Meaning of “The Little Black Boy”
This is a poem written by William Blake coming from his collection, Songs of Innocence.
The story begins with a little black boy telling the audience of how he came to know
himself and God. He says that he was born in Africa, and his skin is black, but his soul is
white. His mother taught him about God who lives in the East, he gives light and hope to
everything. She teaches the little boy that God puts them on Earth to learn about God’s
love and spread it to the world. She teaches him that his dark skin that he is judged for
now will disappear when He meets God in Heaven. The little black boy goes on to teach
what he has learned. He teaches a little white boy about God and how when they get to
Heaven and meet God, they will no longer be judged for the color of their skin. The little
black boy says that until the little white boy can bear the heat of God’s love, he will cover
him.
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6. Symbols in “The Little Black Boy”
The symbols in this poem are relating slavery and equality
in England from 1783 to 1833. The innocence of the little
black boy helps signify that he came to love himself and
know that although the white man does not love him, God
does. He uses his mother to symbolize a teacher of the
word. He uses the significance of his dark skin to be a cloud
and when he meets God, there will no longer be a cloud. He
uses a reference to a cloud over his white friend and until
he could accept God’s love, he would cover him from the
heat. And when his white friend meets God, his cloud will
also be removed and they will love each other at last.
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7. Form of “The Little Black Boy”
The poem is written in heroic quatrains. This means that
the stanzas are in pentameter lines and they rhyme ABAB.
This form is a variation from the ballad stanza.
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