Analysis of Poems by William Blake: The Little Black Boy and The Sick Rose
Analysis of William Blake’s Poems
The Little Black Boy
Summary
A black child narrates his journey of self-discovery and his understanding of God. Born in the southern wild of Africa, he explains that despite his dark skin, his soul is as pure as that of an English child. His mother teaches him about God, who resides in the East, providing light and life to creation, and comfort and joy to humanity. She explains that their purpose on Earth is to learn to accept God’s love. The boy’s black skin is described as a temporary cloud that will vanish when his soul meets God in heaven. He shares this lesson with an English child, explaining that white skin is also a cloud. He promises that when they are both free from their physical bodies and in God’s presence, he will shield his friend until he can bear the intensity of God’s love. Then, he believes, they will be equal, and the English boy will love him.
Structure and Themes
“The Little Black Boy” comprises seven heroic quatrains with an ABAB rhyme scheme. The first two stanzas focus on the boy’s mother and her influence. The next three recall her teachings. The final two depict the boy sharing his lesson with a white English boy. The poem progresses temporally from past (learning) to present (the lesson) and future (applying the lesson). Key themes include the equality of all before God, innocence, and hints of anti-slavery sentiment.
While the poem touches on racial equality, its primary focus is the equality of all humans. God’s creation is presented as an act of divine mercy, with the sun warming everyone as preparation for God’s love. The black boy initially views his blackness negatively, contrasting it with his white soul and the English boy’s outward and inward whiteness. His mother clarifies that outward appearance is a mere cloud, shielding individuals from God’s full radiance until they are ready. The black boy envisions himself emerging from worldly trials stronger than the English boy, suggesting spiritual superiority through experience.
The Sick Rose
Summary
The speaker addresses a rose, informing it of its illness. An invisible worm has invaded its bed during a stormy night. The worm’s dark, secret love is destroying the rose’s life.
Themes and Interpretation
The poem explores themes of sex, love, and death. It delves into a peculiar death linked to love, suggesting that death is complex and that seemingly good things can have destructive consequences. The rose symbolizes earthly love, vulnerable to corruption by worldly materialism. The crimson bed of joy may have sexual connotations, with the worm representing lust or jealousy. The worm’s dark secret love highlights a destructive, possibly sinful element.
Structure and Figurative Language
The poem consists of two quatrains with an ABCB rhyme scheme. The short, two-beat lines create a sense of foreboding. The speaker uses apostrophe, addressing the rose directly. The invisible worm and the howling storm contribute to the ominous tone. The rose’s bed of crimson joy employs synesthesia, blending color and emotion. The worm’s actions are personified, and its penetration of the rose’s bed acts as a metaphor for infection or corruption.