The Little Black Boy The theme of guardianship, being the act of guarding, protecting, and taking care of another person, is very prominent in William Blake’s “The Little Black Boy”. Three distinct instances of guardianship can be seen in Blake’s poem. These guardianship roles begin with the little boy’s mother, followed by God, and ultimately ending with the unsuspecting little black boy himself. It is relatively easy to see the repression of blacks by whites in the way in which the little black boy speaks and conveys his thoughts. These racial thoughts almost immediately begin the poem, with the little black