The Little Black Boy Poem Analysis

Many writers and poets throughout history have touched on the topic of slavery and the woe of those enduring unjust discrimination and racism due to the mere color of their skin, culture or religion they follow. The journey of slavery and discrimination of the black people is a topic that is close to my heart and to many people who feel for the suffering and undeserved bias that is placed against those that are deemed different in any way. In literature, the topic has been discussed in regard to the various concepts based on the experiences and researches conducted by the authors. In this research, the paper will discuss the topic on slavery and discrimination of black people in regard to various writings that have been collected in “The Poetry …show more content…
Poets use their poetic license to express their feelings on the subject. One of the poems authored in the book is titled The Little Black Boy. This pome is about the life of black boy and his mother suffering from obvious discrimination. The boy realizes that although he has a heart just like a white boy and he possesses the same strength as the white boy, his skin is black. He therefore becomes curious to know the reason why he has a different skin. The boy sets out on a mission to find out and discover a new explanation concerning his differences in skin color versus his inner qualities. This undertaking sets him on a journey becoming the motivation in his …show more content…
He discusses the release and the plight of slaves. Harris recognizes and discusses the fact that the white man exploited the black man by enforcing rules on them and making them work in unfair conditions (Harris, 1992). The poem elaborates that after the slaves were set free the slaves were remembering their troubles were thankful for their freedom that they obtained. There were all kind of songs which expressed joy and this shows that the efforts by the antislavery movements were successful. Though the motion which advocated for the end of slavery played a great role, there was motivation and efforts which were made by movements and people who wanted the end of slave trade. The act was against the human rights and no one deserved to be a slave for other people. In these songs it is evident that the black people were so happy with just a small amount of liberation that was afforded to them, although the apparent discrimination was obvious and strong. This goes to show the dire straits that the black people endured for many years and the seemingly minor changes given to them, gladdened them so much. Although they continued to be treated poorly and unfairly, they appreciated whatever freedom they gained. As Harris correctly observed, there will always be a privileged class in a mixed community that will command