William Blake ~*The Little Black Boy*~

William Blake's interest was not only in poetry but in painting as well. He didn't have a formal education but had interest in reading English poetry, Biblical text, ancient languages, as well as the logic of philosophy, In The Little Black Boy, Black describes a young boy of African descent with dark skin which he describes as "a cloud, and like a shady grove"(80). He describes it not just as skin, but being "sun-burnt". Maybe the representation of the clouds, and being sun burnt makes the black boy close to the heavens and God. Later Blake says the white boys has not yet "learn'd the heat to bear"(81), which may represent the racial issue of the suffering of blacks and white authority. The little boy's mother tells him even though his skin is black, God will see him not as a black boy, but see his soul which is "white as an angel"(80), comparable to the English boy. Blake tells in the eyes of God all will be looked on as the same, and not regarded as the black boy or white boy but just a boy.
Looking at the paintings in color plate 6 and 7, Blake paints the black boy differently in the two. In the first one, you can distinguish him as the black boy, yet in color plate 7, he is made lighter, similar to the color of the English boy's skin. It looks as if Jesus is listening to the English boy's prayers, and directly associating with him with the little black boy to the side. He is still in his presence yet not yet fully acknowledged during the prayer by the white boy. The black boy believes he will be loved by the white boy as he caters to his side and simply "stroke his silver hair"(81).